angel with a sweet tooth

I'm going over Jane's tonight for dinner. Her boyfriend's cooking. He's a restaurateur. Last time I had dinner with them, it was a multi-course meal that included an avocado and beet salad with a lemon vinaigrette; braised short ribs; artichoke, celery root, and bacon risotto; fried artichoke stems stuffed with sausage and cheese; and baked apples with local, organic vanilla ice cream. I love it when I directly benefit from my friend's relationships.

Jane asked me to bring something on which a strawberry sauce would go. (She had already left Whole Foods when she realized she'd forgotten a pound cake). So today I decided to take my first stab at making a chocolate angel food cake. I already made one recipe* with chocolate and egg whites this week, and I'm getting pretty good at separating the eggs:


I was just going to buy egg whites, because as Jane pointed out I wouldn't be cheating, I would be conserving egg yolks. Fortunately I read the carton before leaving the supermarket with Egg Beaters - apparently because they're pasteurized they don't foam well and aren't recommended for meringues or angel food cakes. I was pleased that mentioned that on the packaging.

No problem whipping these babies in shape (stiff peaks, to be exact). I looooove my stand mixer.



Here's the recipe, and the finished product.

* not recommended - they tasted like dirt flavored chocolate meringues