Valentine's Day Dessert - Flourless Choclate Cake

Okay, so this is what's called a compromise between healthy eating and an all-out binge.  You've got flavonoids in the chocolate, some healthy fat in the almonds, it's not too sugary, and you're not eating processed white flour.  All-in-all, not so bad.  And it's delicious!

Dr. Connie Guttersen, author of New Sonoma Diet, calls almonds and dark chocolate a dream team combination. Together these ingredients provide an antioxidant boost and make a hunger-suppressing sweet treat, which means you get to indulge without overdoing it. Remember, an overstuffed belly can dampen your desire. Bringing the dream team together, Guttersen created this flourless chocolate cake recipe for her new book. A slice of this cake would make the perfect ending to your V-Day dinner.

Ready to meet your new fave chocolate dessert?

Ingredients

4 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate (72% cacao), in small pieces
¼ cup butter
¼ cup nonfat yogurt
3 eggs
1/3 cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cup finely chopped almonds
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 cups fresh raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with a nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray again on top of the parchment paper. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl. Place over a pot of barely simmering water. Gently heat until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in yogurt and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and fluffy, about 4 minutes on high speed. Stir in salt and vanilla. Add nuts; then gently fold in chocolate. Do not overmix. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with ¼ cup of fresh seasonal fruit.

Serves 12.

Culinary Notes:

Do not melt the chocolate over boiling water or the chocolate may scorch. Gentle heat is best, and stir periodically.
Whip the eggs and sugar until light in color and full of air. This leavens the cake and gives it a light texture.

Nutrition Facts per Serving: 207 calories, 5 g protein, 14 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 17 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 63 mg cholesterol, 97 mg sodium, 5.8 glycemic load.