Makes 4-6 servings

Chocolate Cake

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
8 oz. butter
4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
3 oz. sugar
64 grams flour
Butter for pan
Flour for pan

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On the top half of a double boiler over medium heat, melt the butter and chocolate together, whisking to blend. When the chocolate and butter are fully melted, remove the chocolate from the stove.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs plus the yolks together. Add in flour and then sugar until well blended, being careful not to incorporate air. When chocolate/butter mixture has cooled, add egg and sugar mixture by hand with a whisk, again being careful not to incorporate air.

Butter and flour 4 individual (approximately 4 oz.) cake molds, tapping the pan to remove excess flour, and pour the chocolate batter into the pan.

Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 8 minutes. Unmold and serve warm.

Armagnac Ice Cream

1 quart half & half
250 grams sugar
9 egg yolks
3 tbsp. Armagnac

Warm the half & half and Armagnac in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil, then remove the saucepan from the stove. While the half & half is heating, whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until pale lemon in color. Add the sugar/egg yolk mixture to the half & half and return to the stove over very low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the foam on the top disappears and the mixture is thicker and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from the stove immediately and stop the cooking by placing the saucepan in a bowl of ice, stirring the mixture to cool it. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer?s instructions.

Sauce

3 10 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons espresso freshly milled grounds
1 shot of espresso
½ teaspoon salt

Boil the cans of condensed milk in water for 6 hours, remove and chill in an ice bath. Open the cans and scrape the dolce de leche out into a mixing bowl. Grind the espresso grounds to a very fine powder and sift into the mixing bowl. Add the brewed espresso.