Cooked for dinner with at John's old place w/Loi, Cindy, & Sam.
VICTORIAN ELEGANCE TORTE
(Adapted from Mpls.
Star Tribune)
Serves 8 to 12
Make ahead to allow time to cool in refrigerator!
Cover bottom of 9 1/2“ or 10” springform pan with foil; grease
bottom foil lightly but not sides. Preheat oven 350ยบ.
Torte:
Melt in double boiler over water:
8 oz. Lindt or Ghiradelli bittersweet
chocolate (Baker’s or Nestle’s not a good
substitute)
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
(salted will work)
Cool briefly to room temp.
In large bowl, beat until fluffy:
5 eggs
Add & beat:
1 c. sugar
Add cooled chocolate mixture; whip until light & consistency
of a mousse.
Mix in:
1/2 c. flour
Fold in:
1/4 c. Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
Spread in prepared pan. Bake 25-30 min. or until does not leave
an impression when touched lightly in center. Do not overbake (5 or 10 min.
extra max.) or will be too dry. Run knife around side & remove side.
Refrigerate several hours; it will fall. Invert on center of plate. Peel off
foil & ice.
Swiss Chocolate Icing:
Bring water in bottom of double boiler to a boil. Remove from
stove & place top pan over the water (water should not touch bottom of
upper pan). Melt ingredients together in top pan while double boiler sets on
counter*, stirring occasionally:
8 oz. Lindt or Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate
2 oz. (1/2 stick) butter
3/4 c. whipping cream, unwhipped
Cool. Will set up as it cools, but don’t wait too long to ice or
becomes unspreadable. Decorate top of icing in a wavy pattern with a
decorator’s comb.
Garnish with:
Fresh raspberries (original recipe also
pipes a dollop of mousse under each
berry)
Raspberry Sauce
(optional):
Process in food processor or blender:
10 oz. frozen raspberries
Strain seeds if desired. Serve puddle on side of torte.
*Note: Since some
have had occasion to scorch the chocolate in the torte frosting, I thought I
would pass along a possible clue which I have run across twice in my recent
reading. Both commented that you should not have the water in the lower pan
touch the bottom of the upper pan or it can ruin the chocolate in the upper
pan. Chocolate is very sensitive to heat & can only stand gentle steam
touching the bottom of its pan, not boiling water. In any case, my technique of
bringing the water to boil (below the level of the bottom of upper pan) in the lower
pan alone, removing it from the stove & then setting the upper pan over it
on the counter, seems to be fail-proof. The steam melts the 3 ingredients
together with only a couple of stirs, the same as if it were on the stove. It
should also preserve more flavor, as well.
Remade on:
11-07-2012 for Katie's birthday
12-22-2012 for Christmas eve observed dinner in Minneapolis, MN
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