3/4 c  Currants, dried
3 tb Cognac
1 1/2 c  Flour
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Cinnamon
3/8 ts Salt
6 tb Half and half
1 ts Vanilla
5 oz Chocolate, ex-bittersweet
2 tb Flour
3/4 c  Butter; room temp
1 c  Sugar
3    Egg; room temp
Sugar
Semisweet chocolate curls
-(garnish)

Heat currants and Cognac in small saucepan until just warm. Cover mixture
and let stand 1 hour.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 deg. Butter 6-cup fluted
tube cake pan or 9×5-inch loaf pan. (Line loaf pan with waxed paper; butter
paper.) Dust pan with flour. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon
and salt into medium bowl. Drain soaking liquid from currants into half and
half. Add vanilla. Pat currants dry. Combine currants, bittersweet
chocolate and 2 tablespoons flour in small bowl. Using electric mixer,
cream butter in large bowl. Add 1 cup sugar and beat until light and
fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix flour and half and half mixtures
alternately into butter, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Using
spatula, fold in chocolate mixture. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake cake
until center is springy to touch, about 1 hour.

Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Run knife around cake. Invert onto
rack. Peel off paper and cool cake completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar
or spread glaze over top, allowing some to drip down sides. Garnish with
chocolate curls.