Gluten-Free Mexican Style Chocolate-Orange Cake & MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE recipes..for Linda, Marie & Kelli

Flourless chocolate-orange cake 

This is a somewhat authentic recipe for a cake that has always been made without flour, the key ingredients are almonds, eggs and chocolate!


Serves 6

1 cup blanched unsalted almonds
2 x3ozs tablets Mexican chocolate OR 6ozs semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon* ( if using semisweet chips add 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
grated peel of 1 medium orange
pinch of salt
5 large eggs separated
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
pinch cream of tartar OR a pinch of cornstarch

powdered sugar for garnish 

whipped cream or ice cream for serving

Preheat oven 350F

Either:
line an 8inch baking pan with parchment
OR grease and flour-dust the base and sides

Set aside.

 Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in oven for approx. 7 mins until they are lightly browned
.
Remove from oven and cool completely.

In a food processor or mortar and pestle, crush the nuts, chocolate, cinnamon,
and salt, adding the orange peel last, until finely ground.

beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and lemon colored.
Fold in the orange juice and chocolate mix.
Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks with the cream of tartar or corn starch.
Fold 1/3 into the chocolate mix then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
Pour into prepared pan and bake in middle oven for approx. 45 mins ( until the cake begins to pull away form the sides of the pan, and center springs back when gently touched).

Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
Loosen from pan and invert when cold.
Remove parchment and pat powdered sugar on sides (or powdered unsweetened cocoa powder).
Serve slices topped with ice cream or whipped cream.

 * authentic Mexican Chocolate tablets contain ground cinnamon


This is for my  friends Linda, Marie & Kelli who cannot eat any gluten.

Mexican Hot Chocolate with a Molinillo..a wooden beater to froth the hot chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate serves  2-3

1 quart hot milk ( nut milk is fine)
1 tablet ( 3ozs) Mexican Chocolate OR 3ozs semisweet chocolate chips & 1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a blender:
chop the chocolate and add the 1/2 hot ( not boiled) milk, and whirl until blended.
Add the remaining milk and whirl until frothy.

WITH A MOLINILLO:
Combine the milk and chocolate (broken up) in a heavy bottomed pan and heat on medium flame until it has melted.
remove from heat and pour into a jug and using the knob end in the jug, twirl the slender end between palms of hands, and continue whipping until chocolate is frothy!
serve hot.

you may also add any hard liquor of choice