Easy, Impressive (and Gluten Free!) Chocolate Cake

Last night we had dinner at my friend Valerie's house. It was a lovely evening all around. First, our kids all played together so well. (Really, is there a better developmental milestone than when your kids can play mostly unattended with your friends' kids?) Second, Valerie, her husband Owen, and our mutual friend Katie are fabulous company - smart, funny, intellectual without being snooty. And finally, Valerie is a great cook. She mad Bibimbap, a Korean specialty, and it was so good. If she doesn't post something about it on her blog, City Mouse Philly, I will have to write about it this week. Seriously delicious stuff.

I am big believer that you shouldn't be an empty-handed guest, so I offered to bring dessert. Val is gluten intolerant, which put cookies, brownies and traditional cakes out of bounds. Fortunately, I had just been paging through my copy of Real Simple magazine. Dave says he can't really distinguish this periodical from a catalog, but I find it a pretty good read as magazines go. If nothing else the pictures are nice. And if you are looking for a "new use" for tin cans, burnt down candles, or the cardboard toilet paper rolls, let the writers of Real Simple be your guide. (In all seriousness, they have a section called "New Uses for Old Things" - check it out.) I had never really tried one of their recipes, but when I saw one for Flourless Chocolate Cake, I knew it was destiny.

I was not disappointed. This cake was so easy to make, and it looked gorgeous. (Doesn't a dusting of powdered sugar make even the most mundane dessert look "professional"?) Most importantly, it tasted wonderful - it's rich and moist, like a brownie on steroids. Micah, Val's son, wolfed his down in under a minute. The grown ups, because we are so mature, took at least three minutes to gobble up ours. We served it with the sweetened whipped cream/creme fraiche and ice cream too. It's important to have sides with your super rich chocolate dessert, right?

Give it a try this holiday season - you wont regret it.