CASSATA alla SICILIANA, from the Time-Life Cookbook Series "Cooking of Italy"

Joan's note:  This is a fabulous holiday cake, best made the day before serving so the flavors can ripen.  Bonus:  one less thing to fuss with on event day.

Prep time: About 40 minutes hands-on (best made the night before (or at least the morning of) to let the cake soak up flavors)
Servings: The book says 8, but we often stretch it to 12-16 - just depends on how fat you slice it.
My variation on frosting preparation is footnoted - otherwise, this recipe is verbatim from the book.

1 fresh pound cake 9"long 3"wide (plain or almond pound cake, made from the box)
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Strega or other orange-flavor liqueur
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped mixed candied fruit
2 ounces semisweet chocolate -- coarsely chopped

For the frosting:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate -- cut in small pieces
3/4 cup strong black coffee
1/2 pound thoroughly chilled unsalted butter -- cut in 1/2" pieces

Directions for the cake:
With a sharp knife, slice the end crusts off the pound cake and level the top if it is rounded. Cut cake horizontally into 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick slabs. With a wooden spoon or electric mmixer, beat the ricotta cheese until smooth. Beating constantly, add cream, sugar and Strega. With a spatula, fold in the chopped candied fruit and chocolate. Center the bottom slab of cake on a flat plate; spread it generously with the ricotta mixture. Carefully place another slab of cake on top, keeping sides and ends even; spread more ricotta mixture. Repeat the process until all the cake slabs and filling are used up, ending with a plain slab of cake on top. Gently press the loaf together to make it as compace as possible. Don't worry if it feels wobbly; chilling firms the loaf. Refrigerate the Cassata for about 2 hours, or until the filling is firm.

Directions for the frosting*:
Melt the 12 ounces of chocolate with the coffee in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the chilled butter, 1 piece at a time.* Continue beating until mixture is smooth. Chill frosting until it thickens to spsreading consistency. With a small metal spatula, spread frosting evenly over the top, sides and ends of the chilled Cassata, swirling it as decoratively as possible.

Cover frosted Cassata loosely with foil and chill at least 24 hours before serving it (this "ripens" the dessert). NOTE: A pastry tube may be used to decorate the top of the cake with buds, flowers, etc. if desired.

*Because the frosting ingredients are the same as another recipe I use, I happen to know that you can just melt the butter and chocolate together, add in the coffee, and then refrigerate it overnight - in the morning, shazaam - it's congealed into spreadable frosting.  You're welcome.

Blackberry & Apple Crisp with Nut Topping

FILLING:
3 Fuji apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
TOPPING:
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup whole almonds and pecans, roughly chopped
3 Tbs light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Tbs butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350. Oil an 8'x8' glass baking dish. In a bowl, toss apples with blackberries, sugar and 2 Tbs of flour. Scrape filling into baking dish.

In a bowl, toss oats with remaining 1/2 cup of flour, plus nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and rub it in thoroughly. Sprinkle topping over filling and bake for 35 minutes, until filling is bubbling and topping is browned. Let crisp cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Crisp can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Goes great with pork and tomatillo stew. Also from Food & Wine.

Chocolate Cinnamon Bread

This is the recipe that Starbuck gave out a few years ago for their Chocolate Cinnamon Bread.  Dense, moist, chocolate-y with a cinnamon spice kick.
 
Chocolate Batter:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cocoa-Spice Sugar Crust

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• Pinch ground ginger
• Pinch ground cloves
• ¼ cup decorating or sparkle sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of
the bowl several times.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, water and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to butter, beginning and ending with the flour and beating just until blended. Divide the batter between the two pans, shake the pans to even the tops and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, ginger and cloves. Sprinkle the surfaces of both batters with the decorating sugar. Sprinkle with the cocoa sugar mixture, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely, run a thin knife around the sides to release the breads and remove from pans.

Sunken Chocolate Cakes

These are not molten cakes - they're individual flourless chocolate cakes which, if you do not overcook, will be a great combination of dense and light. I like to make these for company: they come together quickly, but I still have everything prepped, including completing step one, before company arrives so I'm not stuck in the kitchen. Put them in the oven when you sit down to eat, and they'll be ready when dinner's done. From Martha Stewart Living, May 2001. Serves 4.

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces, plus more for pans
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for pans
• 5 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (i like to use scharffenberger)
  
• 2 large eggs, separated, plus 2 large egg yolks
• 4 scoops coffee ice cream (1 pint)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 4 cups in a jumbo nonstick muffin pan, leaving the 2 center cups empty. Coat lightly with sugar, and set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl; set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally, until melted and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat; set aside.
2. Combine the 4 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Stir in the melted chocolate-and-butter mixture.
3. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff and shiny but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, and bake until set and slightly springy to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in pan; carefully run a knife around edges of cakes, and unmold. Serve each with a scoop of coffee ice cream.