St. Valentine's Day

My 4-year-old daughter is a serious chocoholic (she likes 85% cacao) and I'm constantly on the lookout for high-density chocolate recipes. This one comes from last Wednesday's food section in The New York Times. The recipe is simplicity itself and I liked that you begin the cake in a hot oven and finish it in a cold fridge. The result is a dark disk with a deliciously moist, fudgy center. Cut thin wedges and serve with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

"Azo Family Chocolate Cake"

81/2 ounces (about 2 sticks) unsalted butter
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
pinch of sea salt

1. Place rack in top third of oven and heat to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Melt together butter and the chocolate in a double boiler.
2. Mix egg yolks and sugar. Add flour. Stir in chocolate mixture. Whisk egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into the batter just until blended.
3. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove cake from oven and cool for 1 hour. Wrap with foil and refrigerate until firm and cold, at least 2 hours.