A reader from Vernon had requested some flourless cake recipes for her husband who has Celiac disease. An anonymous reader e-mailed the following recipe.
FLOURLESS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
* 12 ounces chocolate bits
* 1/2 pound unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 6 eggs
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1/4 cup light rum
* 1/4 cup water
Mix the chocolate, butter, peanut butter and sugar over low heat until blended. Cool.
Whisk the eggs, but do not beat.
Stir together cornstarch, rum and water. Stir into eggs.
Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, about one quarter of the mixture at a time, whisking after each addition.
Pour batter into a 10-inch springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake completely. Remove from pan. Pour topping (recipe below) over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving.
TOPPING
* 1/2 cup whipping cream
* 1/2 tablespoon butter
* 6 ounces chocolate bits
Microwave the whipping cream until almost boiling. Stir in butter. Sprinkle the chocolate bits over hot cream. Let stand for 5 minutes. Beat with spoon until smooth.
A Vernon reader sent in “the best flourless peanut butter cookie recipe ever.”
BEST-EVER FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray baking sheets with nonstick spray.
In a bowl beat together the peanut butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in egg. Sprinkle baking soda over mixture and beat until combined.
Measure heaping-teaspoon size pieces of dough into small blobs and roll between your palms to make balls. Arrange 1-inch apart on baking sheets. With the tines of a fork, flatten to about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, making crisscross pattern.
Bake in middle of oven until puffed and pale golden, about 10 minutes.
Cool cookies on baking sheets for 2 minutes. This is important because they are fragile when hot from the oven and they need time to set up. Transfer with a metal spatula to plate or racks to cool completely. Makes about 25 cookies.
Echo Wallace of Enfield requested a recipe for vodka sauce. Brenda Koeppel of Canaan writes, “This is the recipe I use. I cut it out of Bon Appetit magazine quite a few years ago. Cheap vodka works just fine … .”
PENNE WITH VODKA AND TOMATO CREAM SAUCE
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained, seeded, chopped
* 1 cup whipping cream
* 1/4 cup vodka
* 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
* 1 pound penne pasta
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* Minced fresh chives
Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until almost no liquid remains in pan, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. Add cream, vodka and red pepper and boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Bring sauce to simmer. Pour over pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives and serve. Serves 4.
(Thanks also to the following readers who also submitted vodka sauce recipes: Ursula Hunter, Higganum; Jude McNiel, Glastonbury; and Lynne Noack, Marlborough.)
REQUESTS
Harriet E. Berman of Bristol wants drink recipes that use fruits and vegetables “to cure certain ailments,” including stress, insomnia, headaches, colds, high cholesterol and high and low blood pressure. Send recipe requests and recipes, along with your name, address and phone number, to Recipe Exchange, The Hartford Courant, Features Department, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115, or by e-mail to recipeexchange@courant.com. Please include exact measurements and directions, serving sizes and origin of recipe. Recipes in this column have not been kitchen-tested by The Courant.