Have you ever tried a new recipe and the end result didn’t quite turn out or look like the beautiful picture that accompanied the recipe? I’m willing to bet it’s happened to most of us at least once…or twice.

The other day my husband had a group of guys over for their Fantasy Football draft and I decided to make a chocolate dessert that looked beautiful and sounded delicious. I found the recipe in my Williams-Sonoma “Chocolate” cookbook and while it wasn’t necessarily a “budget” recipe, it was flourless (I have Celiac Disease,) so I figured it was worth a shot. Something the guys would enjoy and that I could eat too.

Well, first of all, I probably should have made it the day before but no, I figured it wasn’t that complicated so instead, I made it a couple of hours before everyone showed up. Everything seemed to go great as I whisked, beat, and melted chocolate. I was feeling pretty good about the end result and couldn’t wait until I would swoop in, bearing this fabulous dessert and hear the oohs and aahs from the men.

As you’ve probably guessed, it didn’t quite work out that way.

Here’s what the “Reine de Saba” (chocolate torte with a chocolate ganache) was supposed to look like.

And this is how mine came out of the pan (without the ganache.)

And now I have about an hour to finish this up, get the kitchen cleaned up, and put the finishing touches on the other food. And this was not cheap, coming in at about $20 so I’m not going to just toss it.

I admit I could have probably made this for less money had I done better shopping but I bought everything at the grocery store and none of the ingredients were on sale. It was one of those last-minute ideas that can so easily add up. Plus I chose Ghirardelli chocolate to use which tends to be more expensive but for something like this, I thought the right way to go.

Even though I prepared the pan exactly like the recipe said to, including butter and parchment paper, I admit we used gluten-free flour instead of wheat flour to coat the pan. This could have been part of the problem or it could have been because of the altitude here in Colorado Springs and I didn’t make any adjustments for that. There’s also a possibility I cooked this for less time too since I was cooking multiple items using various timers.

So as I’m staring at this mess, wondering if I could get it all put back in place, I take a bite and nearly swoon. It’s delicious! And that’s just the torte without the ganache.

Well now I have to decide if I’m going to serve it, how I’m going to serve it, or if I should just cover it up and eat the whole thing by myself after everyone leaves. But the dollar amount is still clear in my head so it’s going to be served, which my thighs were grateful for.

I found some small cups, crumbled up the torte and filled up the cups halfway. It is so rich you seriously don’t need more than that. I mean rich, gooey, chocolate rich.

I then made the ganache, let it cool down, and poured it over the torte pieces.

I got about 22 cups filled, with ganache left over that will keep another couple of weeks and I can use for something else.

The presentation wasn’t what I had been hoping for but it was delicious, everyone loved it, and truth be told, I probably could have served it straight from the pan and the guys would have been happy.

So, when that’s the way the torte crumbles (or cookies, cakes, pies, etc.,) don’t freak, stay calm, put the “mess” in an elegant or fun dish and pretend like that’s how you had it planned all along.

Here’s the recipe, which even though I messed up, tasted wonderful and I’ll attempt again.

Recipe from Williams – Sonoma Kitchen Library “Chocolate”

REINE DE SABA –

Makes one 10-inch cake; serves 10

Ingredients:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (1 2/3 cups)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

6 extra-large eggs, separated, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups ground nuts (You can use ground almonds, walnuts, toasted hazelnuts, etc. I used a combo, including cashews.)

3 cups chocolate ganache, heated (recipe follows.)

Directions:

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven (not the bottom) and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch layer cake pan or springform pan with 3-inch sides. Line the pan bottom with a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit precisely. Butter the paper, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess flour.

Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl or the top pan of a double boiler. Set over simmering water but not touching the water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Place the butter and sugar in a bowl. Using a whisk or an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light and fluff, 8-10 minutes with a whisk or 3-5 minutes with a mixer. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the cooled chocolate and the ground nuts.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and glossy but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan; smooth the top.

Bake until the top puffs and forms a crust, about 50 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Peel off the paper. Transfer to a plate and spread the warm chocolate ganache over the top and sides.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE –

Ingredients:

1 cup (8 fl oz) heavy (double) cream

10 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (2 cups)

Directions:

Gently warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles begin to appear at the edges. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until the mixture is smooth and the chocolate has melted completely. Do not stir so vigorously that bubbles form.

Alternatively, place the chocolate in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 15 seconds. With the pusher or lid in place to prevent splattering, process or blend until smooth.

If there are any visible lumps, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.

Makes about 3 cups.

• You can use the ganache in many ways. It can be flavored with 1 or 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, framboise, kirsch or your favorite liqueur and served warm, as a sauce to accompany almost any dessert. At room temperature, pour over a cake to form the perfect shiny glaze. Ganache will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, or frozen for up to 6 months. To reheat, warm the sauce in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of water or in a microwave on full power for 20-30 seconds.