Ultimate Chocolate Marquise with Raspberry Coulis

A chocolate marquise is a heavenly rich dessert that is prepared in a terrine mold (or loaf pan) and does not require baking. It has an amazing, truffle-like flavor and consistency.

Take note of the amount of eggs that are needed. That's not a misprint folks...many, MANY uncooked eggs are used in this recipe, so anyone with health concerns may want to think about using pasteurized eggs. Despite it's less than wholesome ingredients, it's the perfect make-ahead dessert - just leave it in the freezer until ready to serve. I eliminated the liqueur from the recipe and paired it with a simple, yet tasty raspberry coulis.

On a side note, I finally kicked my old point-and-shoot camera to the curb and replaced it with a nifty, Nikon DSLR. It takes amazing photos, but is easy enough to use even for the novice photographer. I'm hoping to get a few more oohs and aahs from my food shots.

Ultimate Chocolate Marquise with Raspberry Coulis
Adapted from Luscious Chocolate Desserts by Lori Longbotham

For the marquise:

• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cognac or other brandy or liqueur (optional)
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 2 large egg yolks
• Pinch of salt

For the raspberry coulis:

• 3 cups of fresh raspberries
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of confectioner's sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

To make the marquise:
Butter an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and line with 2 sheets of plastic wrap, one going the long way and one going the short way, leaving an overhang of several inches on all sides.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1-1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth. Whisk in the sugar and Cognac, if using, until well blended.

Remove the bowl from the heat and with an electric mixer on low speed, beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Beat the egg whites and salt with clean beaters on medium-high speed in a large deep bowl just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a whisk or a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites in 2 batches just until well blended.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Cover with the overhanging plastic wrap and then wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze for at least 6 hours.

To serve, unwrap the pan, fold back the plastic wrap, and run a table knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the marquise. Place a serving platter over the pan, invert the pan onto it, and release the marquise by pulling on the edges of the plastic wrap. Remove the plastic wrap and smooth the edges of the marquise with a small warm metal spatula if necessary. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife dipped in very warm water and wiped dry between each slice, and place on chilled dessert plates. (You can tightly rewrap and freeze any leftover marquise.)

To make the raspberry coulis:
Puree the raspberries in a food processor. Sift the sugar over the berries, add the water, and pulse until smooth.

Pour the mixture through a large course strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in the lemon juice to taste.

Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate, tightly covered, until ready to serve. (The sauce will keep for up to 1 week.) Shake well before serving the sauce chilled or at room temperature. The sauce will thicken a bit on standing; add water as needed to think to the desired consistency before serving. This recipe makes a scant 2 cups.