From:           Char Rice
  Subject:        Death by Chocolate
  To:             Cooking
  
Here it is: From ``Death by Chocolate,'' by Marcel Desaulniers (Rizzoli, $25). Desaulniers
credits Donald Mack, former pastry chef at Desaulniers' Trellis restaurant in
Williamsburg, Va., with creating this dessert. Desaulniers says this serves 12, but those
are gigantic Trellis-size hunks. You can easily get at least 16 servings. And he
helpfully/sadistically says that, cut into 12 servings, each piece has 1,354 calories.



DEATH BY CHOCOLATE

COCOA MERINGUE:
4 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1&1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 tablespoon cornstarch

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
1&1/2 cups heavy cream
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE LAYER:
1/4 cup (half stick) plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
1&1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
22 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces

MOCHA MOUSSE:
14 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup instant coffee
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
5 egg whites
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream

MOCHA RUM SAUCE:
6 ounces (1&1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cups granulated sugar
1 cups heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
3 tablespoons Myers' Dark Rum, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Using 9-inch cake pan as guide, trace circle with pencil on
parchment paper cut to fit baking sheet. Turn paper over and, with trace mark down,
place on baking sheet.

To prepare cocoa meringue, place 4 egg whites, cream of tartar and 1/8 teaspoon salt in
bowl of electric mixer with balloon whip. Whisk on high until soft peaks form, about 45
to 50 seconds. Gradually add 1 cup sugar while continuing to whisk on high. Whisk
until stiff, about 1&1/2 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and use rubber spatula to
fold in and thoroughly combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa and
cornstarch. Fill pastry bag (with no tip) with cocoa meringue. Fill traced parchment circle
with meringue: Start in the center and pipe a 3/4-inch-wide spiral toward the outside of
the circle.

Place meringue in preheated oven and bake 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 200
degrees and bake 2 hours and 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 45 minutes
or overnight before handling. Raise oven temperature to 325 degrees.

While meringue is baking, prepare chocolate mousse. Heat 1 inch of water in bottom
half of double boiler over medium heat. Place 6 ounces semisweet chocolate in top half
of double boiler. Tightly cover top with plastic wrap. Let chocolate melt slowly, about 9
to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature
until needed.

Place 1&1/2 cups heavy cream in well-chilled bowl of electric mixer fitted with
well-chilled balloon whip. Whisk on high until peaks form, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Whisk 3 egg whites in large stainless steel bowl until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 2&1/2 minutes.
Add a quarter of the whipped cream to chocolate and whisk quickly, vigorously and
thoroughly, then add to egg whites(!). Add remaining whipped cream. Fold all together
gently but thoroughly. Refrigerate until needed.

To prepare chocolate brownie layer, coat 9- by 1&1/2-inch cake pan with 1 teaspoon
butter. Flour pan with 1 teaspoon flour, shaking out excess. Sift together remaining 1/4
cup flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt onto waxed paper.
Set aside.

Heat 1 inch of water in bottom half of double boiler over medium-high heat. Place 3
ounces unsweetened chocolate, remaining 1/4 cup butter and 2 ounces semisweet
chocolate in top half of double boiler. Tightly cover top with plastic wrap. Heat 4&1/2 to
5 minutes, remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Place 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla in bowl of electric mixer fitted with
balloon whip. Mix on high until slightly thickened, about 1&1/2 minutes. Add melted
chocolate mixture to egg mixture and mix on medium 30 seconds. Add sifted
ingredients and mix on low 10 seconds, then on medium 10 seconds. Add sour cream
and mix on medium 5 seconds.

Remove bowl from mixer and use rubber spatula to combine thoroughly. Pour batter
into prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Place pan in preheated oven and bake until
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove brownie from oven and let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn out onto inverted cake
pan and refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes. Remove brownie from refrigerator and cut in half
horizontally, using several toothpicks inserted in the sides as guides. Keep brownie at
room temperature until needed.

To prepare ganache, heat 1&1/2 cups heavy cream and 3 tablespoons butter in
2&1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil. Place 22 ounces semisweet
chocolate in stainless steel bowl. Pour boiling cream over chocolate and let stand 5
minutes. Stir until smooth. Keep at room temperature until needed.

To prepare mocha mousse, heat 1 inch water in bottom half of double boiler over
medium-high heat. Place 14 ounces semisweet chocolate, 4 ounces unsweetened
chocolate, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup instant coffee and 2 tablespoons cocoa in top half of
double boiler. Tightly cover top with plastic wrap. Heat 6 to 7 minutes, remove wrap
and stir mixture until smooth. Keep at room temperature until needed.

Place 5 egg whites in bowl of electric mixer fitted with balloon whip. Whisk on high
until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Continue to whisk while gradually adding 2
tablespoons sugar. Whisk until stiff, about 30 seconds.

Whip 3/4 cup heavy cream in well-chilled stainless steel bowl until stiff. Fold 1/4 of egg
whites into melted chocolate mixture, then fold in whipped cream. Now fold in
remaining egg whites. Keep at room temperature.

Assembly: Place closed 9- by 3-inch springform pan on baking sheet. Set top half of
chocolate brownie inside pan, top side up. Ladle 1&1/2 cups ganache into pan over
brownie. Trim cocoa meringue with very sharp serrated knife so it will fit tightly into
pan. Place meringue, top side up, inside pan on top of ganache, pressing down gently to 

Spoon a layer of mocha mousse (you won't need all of it) on top of meringue, spreading
evenly. Place remaining brownie half, bottom side up, on top of mocha mousse. Chill
cake in freezer 30 minutes or refrigerate 1 hour.

Remove cake from freezer, cut around edges and release from pan. Pour remaining
ganache over cake and use cake spatula to spread it evenly over top and sides.
Refrigerate cake 10 to 15 minutes.

Fill pastry bag fitted with large star tip with chocolate mousse. Pipe a circle of stars (each
touching the other) along outside edge of top of cake. Continue to pipe out circles of
stars until top of cake is covered. Refrigerate dessert at least 4 hours, preferably 12 hours,
before cutting and serving.

To prepare mocha rum sauce (can be made just before service or in advance), heat 6
ounces butter in 2&1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. When melted, add 1 cups
sugar, 1 cups heavy cream, 8 tablespoons cocoa, 2 tablespoons rum and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Stir with whisk to combine. Bring to boil, then adjust heat and let simmer 5 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat. Add 4 teaspoons instant coffee, 1
teaspoon vanilla extract and remaining 1 tablespoon rum. Stir until smooth. Let cool to
room temperature before using.

To serve Death by Chocolate, cut it into the desired number of servings. Heat blade of
serrated knife under hot running water before cutting into cake. Repeat this procedure
after cutting each slice. Before placing cake slice on dinner-size plates, flood the base of
each plate with 3 to 4 tablespoons mocha rum sauce.