North Shore Desserts
By Anna & David Kasabian
Leave the ice cream in the freezer. These tantalizing desserts from eight North Shore chefs will have you
and your guests swooning for more. Bu Anna and David Kasabian. Photographs by Glenn Scott.
Dessert is the sexiest part of a meal. All the other courses, delicious as they may be, simply function as
foreplay that moves to the crescendo of that glorious, sensual moment when cream, berries, custard, and
sweet pools of warm chocolate meet the taste buds. We aren’t really hungry after that three-course meal,
but we do want that delectable ending, don’t we? Great desserts are made from scratch with fresh
ingredients, and like all truly delicious food, they bear the unmistakable mark of the chef’s heart and soul.
We decided to hunt down a scrumptious selection of desserts that you could serve at a casual lunch or a
candlelit dinner. These recipes come courtesy of some of the best bakers and chefs on the North Shore...
Jack Tar American Tavern
Head for Old Town Marblehead if you’re looking to taste a chocolate sensation aptly titled Chocolate Molten
Cake. Owner and Chef Scott Brankman tells us this is his signature dessert, and it’s no wonder. Baked to
perfection in a ramekin and released onto a plate, this mini tower oozes chocolate from its center as your
fork slides through it. The sides are cooked just enough to hold a delicate wall of chocolate that seems a
cross between cake and mousse, and it all rather delightfully melts in your mouth. Served with fresh berries
and whipped cream, the marriage of all three in your mouth brings on much guilty pleasure. Swoon on, and
yes, try this at home! Your guests will return. 126 Washington St., Marblehead, 781-631-2323,
jacktarmarblehead.com.
Chocolate Molten Cake, Serves 8
1 tbsp. softened butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate,
roughly chopped
2 tbsp. heavy cream
6 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp. granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub softened butter on inside of 8 (6-oz) ramekins then roll flour around,
covering bottom and sides. In a medium non-metallic bowl, combine butter, chocolate, heavy cream, and
confectioner’s sugar. Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir. In an electric mixer with a
whisk attachment, combine eggs, egg yolks, flour, vanilla, salt, and granulated sugar. Whip until medium
peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into the whipped egg mixture. Divide batter among 8 ramekins. Bake for
10 minutes. Cool cakes for 2 minutes. Unmold onto plates and garnish with fresh berries and whipped
cream.
By Anna & David Kasabian
Leave the ice cream in the freezer. These tantalizing desserts from eight North Shore chefs will have you
and your guests swooning for more. Bu Anna and David Kasabian. Photographs by Glenn Scott.
Dessert is the sexiest part of a meal. All the other courses, delicious as they may be, simply function as
foreplay that moves to the crescendo of that glorious, sensual moment when cream, berries, custard, and
sweet pools of warm chocolate meet the taste buds. We aren’t really hungry after that three-course meal,
but we do want that delectable ending, don’t we? Great desserts are made from scratch with fresh
ingredients, and like all truly delicious food, they bear the unmistakable mark of the chef’s heart and soul.
We decided to hunt down a scrumptious selection of desserts that you could serve at a casual lunch or a
candlelit dinner. These recipes come courtesy of some of the best bakers and chefs on the North Shore...
Jack Tar American Tavern
Head for Old Town Marblehead if you’re looking to taste a chocolate sensation aptly titled Chocolate Molten
Cake. Owner and Chef Scott Brankman tells us this is his signature dessert, and it’s no wonder. Baked to
perfection in a ramekin and released onto a plate, this mini tower oozes chocolate from its center as your
fork slides through it. The sides are cooked just enough to hold a delicate wall of chocolate that seems a
cross between cake and mousse, and it all rather delightfully melts in your mouth. Served with fresh berries
and whipped cream, the marriage of all three in your mouth brings on much guilty pleasure. Swoon on, and
yes, try this at home! Your guests will return. 126 Washington St., Marblehead, 781-631-2323,
jacktarmarblehead.com.
Chocolate Molten Cake, Serves 8
1 tbsp. softened butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate,
roughly chopped
2 tbsp. heavy cream
6 tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
4 tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
6 tbsp. granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub softened butter on inside of 8 (6-oz) ramekins then roll flour around,
covering bottom and sides. In a medium non-metallic bowl, combine butter, chocolate, heavy cream, and
confectioner’s sugar. Microwave for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir. In an electric mixer with a
whisk attachment, combine eggs, egg yolks, flour, vanilla, salt, and granulated sugar. Whip until medium
peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into the whipped egg mixture. Divide batter among 8 ramekins. Bake for
10 minutes. Cool cakes for 2 minutes. Unmold onto plates and garnish with fresh berries and whipped
cream.
| FROM NORTH SHORE MAGAZINE The Best of the North Shore October/November 2009 nshoremag.com |
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| Jack-Tar American Tavern -- 126 Washington Street -- Marblehead, MA -- 01945 (781) 631-2323 -- www.jacktarmarblehead.com -- eat@jacktarmarblehead.com |