Tuesday

New Year's Day dessert - Chocolate Walnut Torte

Happy New Year's Day 2013. This is chocolate dessert recipe that will make an excellent New Year's  dinner dessert. It will satisfy your chocoholic guest's cravings. It's a rich chocolate cake drizzled with ganache, using Stevia and the sugars of the bittersweet chocolate to sweeten the cake.
Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Ghiradelli ® bittersweet chocolate - 60% Cacao (for the cake)
  • 2 Cups Walnuts (Best price per pound, shop - Costco Kirkland® 3 Lb. Walnuts)
  • 1.5 sticks  Kirkland Unsalted butter
  • 2.5 t Orange zest (for cake)
  • 1 Cup Stevia
  • 5 Large whole eggs (separate 5 yolks, and 5 Whites)
  • 1.5 Cups  Ghiradelli ® Bittersweet chocolate 60% Cacao (for ganache)
  • 1/2 t Orange, zest, grated (for ganache)
Essential Baking Utensils:

  • 10-inch spring form pan
  • Cuisinart ® Food Processor
Instructions:

Butter the 10-inch spring form pan, lightly dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. 


Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Set aside to cool. I found the Wilton® Chocolate Pro Melting Pot, easy to melt chocolate without risk of burning.


Place the walnuts and 1/3 cup of  Stevia in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl. 


Beat the egg yolks and remaining 2/3 cup Stevia. Then add the vanilla and fold the melted chocolate, ground walnuts and orange zest into the egg yolks.


In a separate bowl beat the eggs whites until stiff. 

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate walnut mixture. 

Pour the batter into the spring form pan.


Bake in a pre-heated  oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the cake pan. Before unlatching the spring form, run a knife blade between the edge of the torte and the form, to prevent sticking.


Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or,  with chocolate ganache on top, like I have done.


Ganache instructions: 
Heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream in small saucepan. Just as the cream begins to bubble add Bittersweet chocolate and orange zest. 

Lower the heat and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add more cream, a tablespoon at a time if chocolate too thick.

Pour the ganache over the cooled  chocolate walnut torte. Enjoy, cheers!



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