Chris Kimball's Milk Street charter issue (1,797 views)

I signed up for it but we moved and my magazine forwarding expires on November 7th so hope it comes before then. I'm anxious to see it. I'm with you both on auto-renewal - can't stand it.

Thanks for bring this up, Joanie. I signed up for the free copy as a result. Also, when I was at market yesterday I saw the mag in the mag rack.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Milk Street. ATK has filed a lawsuit.

www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/10/31/america-test-kitchen-sues-christopher-kimball-over-celebrity-chef-new-venture/nPpuON7LSZDAev7psMXNiK/story.html

www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/six-take-aways-from-americas-test-kitchens-lawsuit-against-christopher-kimball/2016/11/02/f1b581da-a05a-11e6-8832-23a007c77bb4_story.html

PattiA, I was just coming to post the same thing. Those articles are so interesting -

First...can you post that prune cake recipe!!!??!

The only caveat about the carbon steel pans is that you MUST keep them seasoned. They are like a wok. If you don't keep them seasoned, they will rust--and faster (I believe) than a cast iron pan. They are also not light. Certainly not as heavy as cast iron, but not as light as teflon coated pans.
I am chomping at the bit to get one but I use a TON of cast iron already. I do have a Le Creuset teflon coated 8" pan that I use exclusively for scrambled eggs. It looks as pristine as the 20 years ago I got it.

Cookieee, I don't mind waiting any amount of time....not planning to make it soon anyway. Maybe it will pop up on the web somewhere, being reviewed. I haven't tried to look. And you know Kimball recycles his recipes. It will show up!

Is this it?
 
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You don't have to be a professional baker to make this deliciously gooey cake.
Chocolate, Prune and Rum Cake

1 hr 20 min 30 min active

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12 Servings

We were smitten with Claire Ptak’s chocolate, prune and whiskey cake, but when we got the recipe back to Milk Street we knew we needed to make adjustments. Most home bakers aren’t as skilled as Ptak, and we wanted a cake people would fall in love with on the first try – as we did when we tasted her version. Her cake is deliciously gooey at the center, and we wanted to keep that. A ratio of 3:1 chocolate to butter – as well as 8 ounces of chopped pitted prunes – got us the results we wanted. We tried a variety of chocolates and preferred bar chocolates with 60 to 70 percent cacao (especially the Ghirardelli and Guittard brands). Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that can change the cake’s texture; it’s best to avoid them. Ptak uses almond flour, not an uncommon ingredient in flourless chocolate cakes such as this, but certainly not a common ingredient in American homes. In an effort to streamline, we reworked the cake a bit to leave it out and found the results just as good. At first we questioned the need to whip the egg yolks and whites separately, but we discovered it made a big difference. Whipping the yolks helps maintain the emulsion of chocolate and butter; skipping that step produced an unpleasantly dense cake. And of course by now we understood the value of under-whipping the egg whites and just barely mixing them into the batter. Ptak originally made this cake with Armagnac, but later switched to whiskey. We couldn’t easily find the former, and the latter – while delicious once the cake was cooled – tasted harsh when the cake was warm (and this cake begs to be eaten warm). We found dark rum tasted delicious warm or cooled and better complemented the molasses.
12

Servings
Tip

Don’t over-bake this cake. Don’t be alarmed if the center still jiggles a bit and yields to gentle pressure; the cake will continue to set after it comes out of the oven.
1 hr 20 min

30 min active
Ingredients

9 tablespoons salted butter (1 tablespoon softened)
8ounces pitted prunes (about 1½ cups), finely chopped
⅓cup dark rum
1tablespoon molasses
12ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
6large eggs, separated
⅓cup plus ¼ cup white sugar
½teaspoon kosher salt

Choc Tarte 01
Directions

01
Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan evenly with the tablespoon of softened butter. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, combine the prunes, rum and molasses. Microwave until the rum is bubbling, 45 to 60 seconds. Let sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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02
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter. Remove from the heat and immediately add the chocolate, then whisk until melted and completely smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and ⅓ cup of sugar until pale and glossy, about 30 seconds. Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture and continue whisking until smooth. Stir in the prune mixture.
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03
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until light and foamy, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly sprinkle in the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue to whip until the whites are thick and glossy and hold soft peaks, about 1 minute.
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04
Whisk ⅓ of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula until the batter is marbled but not fully blended.
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05
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If needed, smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the edges of the cake are firm and cracked, 35 to 40 minutes. The center will be just set, yet soft to the touch. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving (the cake will settle and sink as it cools).

Tip: Don’t over-bake this cake. Don’t be alarmed if the center still jiggles a bit and yields to gentle pressure; the cake will continue to set after it comes out of the oven.