Though the bakery has closed, it’s memory lives on and many people (especially in the DC area) miss the artisanal pastries of the “tiny very merry bakery.” But they do not miss the joy of the bakery as much as me, the baker and former owner. Though waking at 11pm and baking until 6pm every day is not missed at all the creativity and kick I got from coming up with new recipes, naming them, baking them and then seeing my customers smile with pleasure when eating them is a feeling I’ll never be able to replicate again. Always wanting to share and please, I’m sharing a ShoeBox Oven favorite and hope you will enjoy the recipes too.

Description: It must be noted that I equate chocolate with love. I’m not talking about God’s love or family love. I’m talking about sticky, messy, passion-sloppy, shipwrecking, x-rated, heart-breaking, flashing lights kind of love. The kind that burns when you touch it, but you just got to touch it. Thus I came up with a recipe that reflects my kind of chocolate love. I definitely did not come up with the idea of chocolate with chilis. But ShoeBox Oven can be credited for giving the genre a sense of style and depth.

Amor & The Samurai is an unusually extraordinary mexican chocolate steeped in ground japanese chilis. Inspired by Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros and Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro… as well as one of our favorite cartoons… Samurai Jack.

Makes 6 to 8 servings // I use large canele molds or you can use a round cake pan

• 7 ounces dark chocolate (70 percent cacao) // If you can find a Mexican chocolate you like then go for it. But it’s not required
• 7 ounces (14 tablespoons) butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon rum // cause if love is going to be bitter then I may as well have some booze to drown my sorrows (but rum is not required and the alcohol burns off in baking)
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 pinches of Japanese Sansyo ground pepper or you can grab some Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Preparation:

1. Lightly grease the Canele molds or the 8-inch round cake pan.
2. Melt chocolate with butter in a double boiler or microwave. Do not overheat or the chocolate will seize and become stiff.
3. Add the sugar with a spoon. Let cool.
4. One at a time, beat eggs into the chocolate mixture. Add the  rum. Add the flour and pepper to the mixture and mix until blended.
5. Pour the dough into the molds or cake pan.
6. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven. The top should look set, but the inside should still be on the soft side. The top may poof up like a souffle but it will fall when cooled.
7. Let the cakes cool down a bit, then turn out on a rack to cool completely.

Store cake in a plastic container and refrigerate. Serve at room temperature.

This is dumb yummy with some vanilla bean ice cream. Oooooh!