CHOCOLATE-APRICOT MOUSSE CAKE Talk about decadent! This nearly flourless dessert uses a pound of semisweet chocolate. The cake may seem soft after baking, but it firms up as it chills. 1/4 cup finely snipped dried apricots 1/4 cup brandy or orange juice 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut up 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened 3/4 cup sugar 3 eggs 2/3 cup ground walnuts 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows) Chocolate-Dipped Apricots (recipe follows) Caramelized Sugar (optional)

Combine the snipped apricots and brandy or orange juice; cover and let stand for 30 minutes (do not drain). Grease and flour an 8-inch springform pan; set aside. Stir the semisweet chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat just until melted; set aside.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate at low speed until combined. Stir in undrained apricots. Combine ground walnuts and flour; fold into chocolate mixture.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed around edge and halfway to center (the center will be slightly soft). Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Center will skin slightly as cake cools. Loosen sides of pan and remove. Carefully invert cake onto plate; remove pan bottom.

Spread top and sides with Chocolate Glaze. Arrange Chocolate-Dipped Apricots around edge of the cake. Cover loosely and chill overnight. Let cake stand at room temperature about 2 hours before serving. If desired, garnish with a broken piece of Caramelized Sugar just before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Stir 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), and 1 tablespoon light-color corn syrup in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool and thicken slightly, about 30 minutes. Slowly spoon and spread glaze over the top and sides of cake.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED APRICOTS: Melt 2 ounces semisweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon shortening in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Using 1 cup dried apricot halves, dip half of each apricot into the melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper and chill for 30 minutes or until set.

1 Serving: Calories: 574, Fat: 43g (Saturated: 23g), Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 267mg, Carbohydrate: 46g, Protein: 6g.

[Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications, Simply Perfect Desserts]