ext_195219 ([identity profile] outsdr.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] vintage_recipes2008-12-24 09:12 am
Entry tags:

Chocolate Sponge

For our office holiday party, one of the dishes I made was Chocolate Sponge, taken from Better Meals with Gel-Cookery, published by Knox. The year isn't listed, but I'm guessing 50s or early 60s.

Photobucket

Looks tasty, doesn't it? And it was fairly easy to make, although my folding skills are still a work in progress. Here it is in the mold after setting in the fridge for the night:

Photobucket

Not bad looking at all! Then I took it out of the mold ...

Photobucket

Oh dear.

Apparently, the mold was what was holding it all together. So what went wrong?

I'm blaming this one on my gas stove, which I have a very hard time adjusting temperatures on. After bringing the water to a boil and adding the first few ingredients, the mixture returned to a boil almost instantly. Then, when I added the gelatine, I think there was just too little moisture left in the mixture, and it turned into a thick sludge that didn't really fold into the egg whites, it just broke into pieces. This recipe has potential, and had a deep chocolate taste, but I need to practice it a few more times before taking it back out into public.

After seeing it unmolded, my boss started calling it "Chocolate Dump." To her credit, however, she did eat some later, but very loudly told me that there were "lumps in the dump."

I told her it was corn, and walked away.



[identity profile] tvini.livejournal.com 2008-12-24 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Your boss is unworthy of the Chocolate Dump.

[identity profile] misstiajournal.livejournal.com 2008-12-24 10:41 pm (UTC)(link)
oh this has caused me to laugh more than it should have! "corn" !!! LMAO!!!

it does seem like a good recipe....i LOVE chocolate!

gas stoves are hard to work with with delicate things....could it also be a high altitude problem? as someone else mentioned in another post, double boiler....you can make one with just a glass bowl over a smaller pot...of course do not touch the glass---been there done that, d'oh!

[identity profile] bigkidsid.livejournal.com 2008-12-25 12:57 am (UTC)(link)
looks like a cowpat!

[identity profile] amelia-eve.livejournal.com 2009-01-14 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Spray whipped cream is your friend for times like these! Just decorate it and no one will know it wasn't as you planned.