Growing up my Mother owned a restaurant out on the North Fork called, The Cinnamon Tree. It was a cozy restaurant in the middle of the victorian fishing town. Before the restaurant business my parents had been in the antique business and had a great collection of remarkable things. The restaurant was decorated with antique lights, artwork, giant peer mirrors and stained glass. It provided more of a homey atmosphere, and two Chesterfield leather sofas flanked a large fireplace that, in the colder months, folks would gather around and drink away the darkness.
Most of the other restaurants in the area around served baked clams and shrimp cocktail. On her menu were more elegant things like, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Stuffed Flounder, and a dessert similar to this called: Chocolate Yummy Rummy.
It was a gorgeously decadent dessert that remained on the menu for the entire 24 years that the restaurant was open. It was light and delicate in consistency, and a little went a long way. I used to watch the cooks in the kitchen make enormous bowls of it and then ladle small dollops into individual parfait glasses. It is mesmerizing to watch chocolate fold into creaminess. Somewhere along the line my Mom gave me a copy of the recipe, but I have no idea where it might be, and then, I might not give away the family secret.
What I really liked best about the Chocolate Yummy Rummy is that it did not rely on whipped cream for its loft and moussiness. As a result it’s more chocolately and velvety.
For my holiday meal last night I looked for a comparable recipe and found one that I modified a bit. In retrospect I would add more rum for a slightly more boozy edge, but no complaints here- and if you’re serving a younger crowd you could leave it out entirely.
I served mine with a soft billowy sweetened whipped cream to offset the chocolate- but straight without embellishment is more than fine. This is the time to invest in the best quality chocolate you can get your hands on. If you want someone to fall in love with you, I would put this on the menu.