When the holidays come around, one of my favorite things to do is cook and bake new recipes. This particular dessert seemed too delicious to pass up, and so I looked up various recipes and then made it my own. It's moist, fudgy, and pretty with the crackles on the top layer. It also is gluten-free since the ground up almonds is used as a substitute for flour. You might have to make more than one... mine was finished in one night!

Ingredients

12 on unblanched whole almonds

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips

2 sticks unsalted butter

6 large eggs

confectioner's sugar for sprinkling

2 tbsp rum (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Butter a cake pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.

3. Place the chocolate chips and butter in a bowl and melt in a microwave. You can also place them onto a pan on the stove and melt that way.

4. In grinder or food processor, place the almonds and grind them up until the consistency is like flour. Set aside.

5. In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks. Gradually beat in 10 tbsp of sugar. Add the chocolate and butter mixture, and mix well.

6. Add the ground up almonds into the mixture. Finally, add the rum and mix well.

7. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until firm peaks are formed. Fold the egg whites into the almond mixture and mix well.

8. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 55 minutes. It will begin to form cracks on the top. You can stick a toothpick in the center to check if it is baked on the inside. When the toothpick is dry and not sticky, the cake is done.

9. Once the cake is cooled, sprinkle on confectioner's sugar.