Wonderful Scents

The second best thing about Thanksgiving are the smells wafting about and from every house. The first is, of course, the food itself, particularly dessert. I've always celebrated Thanksgiving someplace chilly, where the doors and windows generally remain closed, but periodically, for a moment as each guest arrives and the doors open and close to welcome them in, the wonderful aromas escape to delight anyone who may be wandering about.


In fact (I am a bit eccentric I know) I actually enjoy leaving the house during dinner preparation for a few minutes; maybe to walk the dogs, or pick up a last minute ingredient, or just to cool off because it gets hot under all those lights and with the oven on non-stop!!, or maybe just so that when I return I get to experience all those co-mingling scents once again.

This next Thanksgiving dessert I am presenting you with this season is sure to please your olfactory senses; it is a combination of chocolate and cinnamon. It comes to us from The Cooks Encyclopedia of Chocolate, pg 150.

Chocolate Pecan Torte

10 tablespoons butter
7 oz. chocolate
Melt together until smooth

4 eggs
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Whisk together until frothy
Stir in melted chocolate and butter

Add
1 cup ground pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Stir to incorporate

Pour into greased 8" springform pan
Cover outside of pan with foil
Bake at F350° 25-30 minutes in a water bath

(Optional) Glaze:
Melt 4 oz chocolate and 2 tablespoons honey together and stir to smooth
Pour over entire cake or pipe single dollop on top of individual piece

This cake is gratifying; it is uncomplicated and produces a light and very poignant and rewarding outcome. The cinnamon shines through the chocolate beautifully and makes you click your tongue wondering where it came from, while the pecans make the cake buoyant and unlike flour, they don't overpower the other flavors but instead allow them to seamlessly blend together.