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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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2
Butter and flour two 10 inch-by-15-inch jelly-roll pans.
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3
To make the mousse, melt chocolate and butter over hot water, beat egg yolks into chocolate and butter, and add cognac.
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Beat egg whites to soft peaks and add sugar slowly.
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Continue to beat till stiff but not dry.
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6
Add stiffly beaten whites to chocolate mixture and beat together with a whisk.
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Whip cream almost to stiff peaks and fold into chocolate mixture.
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Chill for at least one hour.
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To make the sponge cake, sift flour and cocoa twice.
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10
Whisk together eggs and sugar over simmering water until sugar begins to dissolve and mixture is warm.
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Add vanilla.
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Whip at high speed until thick and light, and mixture forms a ribbon when poured from a spoon.
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13
Sift one-third of the dry ingredients over the eggs and sugar, and fold in with a rubber spatula until combined.
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14
Repeat with remaining flour and cocoa, one third at a time.
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Divide the batter equally between the two pans and bake until cake tester is clean in the center, or about 20 minutes.
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16
Remove from oven and cool.
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When cake has cooled, cut the sponge cake to line completely a pate mold or a straight-sided bread pan, about three inches by four inches by 10 inches.
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Cut each piece slightly larger than the pan.
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Simply press the fresh cake against the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure the corners and seams are sealed with cake.
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20
Chill until ready for filling.
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Save the scraps for later use; you should have two pieces large enough to use as layers inside the terrine.
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22
To make the ganache, chop chocolate into coinsize pieces.
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Bring one cup of the cream to a boil and pour over chocolate.
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Stir until chocolate is completely dissolved and ganache is smooth and shiny.
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25
To assemble, fill chocolate terrine with alternating layers of chocolate mousse, ganache and a sheet of chocolate sponge cake, ending with chocolate sponge cake to form a cover and seal the terrine, reserving enough chocolate ganache to cover the outside.
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26
This will come later.
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27
Rap the pan sharply several times while assembling and again afterwards.
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Allow the terrine to chill overnight.
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29
To make chocolate curls, melt the semisweet chocolate slowly over hot water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
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30
When completely melted, spread the chocolate about one-eighthinch thick on a baking sheet with a metal spatula.
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Chill completely.
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When chilled, remove from refrigerator and let chocolate begin to warm.
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Holding the metal spatula at a 45-degree angle to the baking sheet, begin to move the spatula across the sheet, loosening the chocolate.
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If the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, it will slide up the spatula as you move along the sheet, curling as you go.
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If it cracks, it is too cold.
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Let it warm up and try again.
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If it sticks to the spatula, it is too warm.
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Regrigerate for a moment or two.
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39
Refrigerate the curls.
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When the terrine has chilled thoroughly, turn it out by placing an appropriate-size platter (a rectangular bread board will do) upside down on top of the terrine.
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41
Then turn it over.
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The terrine should drop right out.
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If it does not, let it sit on the platter, and tap the top and sides with the heel of your hand.
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44
Remelt the remaining ganache over hot water, stirring occasionally until smooth and shiny again.
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45
If it seems too thick to pour, add several tablespoons of cream.
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Starting at one end and moving toward the other, pour the ganache over the terrine, letting it run down the sides.
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47
Smooth the sides and top with a narrow frosting spatula and let the terrine set in the refrigerator for several minutes.
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48
Garnish the entire terrine with curls in any way you like.
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49
The curls will stick to the ganache.
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50
Refrigerate until one-half hour to one hour before serving.
