Irish Whiskey Chocolate Torte

The story

This torte belongs to modern Irish country cooking rather than to any old custom. A version from Castlewood House in Dingle appears in Trevis Gleason's book Dingle Dinners: butter heated until it sizzles, dark chocolate whisked into it, then eggs, two kinds of sugar, a few spoonfuls of flour and two tablespoons of Irish whiskey. It bakes for 25 minutes in a deep 8-inch tin and comes out dense and rich, which is why it is served in slices with whipped cream. The whiskey has a longer history. A license to distill in County Antrim was granted in 1608, and the Bushmills distillery there was formally registered in 1784. It won the only gold medal for whiskey in Paris in 1889, and James Joyce mentions it in Ulysses. For something older than chocolate, Dublin has Whitefriar Street Church, where relics of St. Valentine, a gift from Pope Gregory XVI, arrived in 1836. On February 14 the reliquary is moved to the high altar, and the Masses that day include a blessing of wedding rings, which draws engaged couples from across Ireland. Serve the torte at room temperature with softly whipped cream and, if you like, a small glass of the same whiskey.