Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
I’m not sure where this recipe came from, possibly Williams-Sonoma. It’s a little complex, but worth the effort, and there are few flavor combinations better than chocolate and hazelnut.
Servings: 10-12
Ingredients:
½ cup hazelnuts (filberts), plus 15-20 for garnish
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs, separated
¼ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Glaze:
9 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into small pieces
1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 9" springform cake pan.
Spread the hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast in oven until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. While nuts are still warm, place in kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Don’t worry if bits of the skin don’t come off. Set aside.
Place chocolate and butter in double boiler or large, heat-proof bowl set over gently simmering water. Stir until melted, then remove from heat.
In a food processor or blender, combine the skinned nuts with ⅔ cup sugar. Pulse until finely ground. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir until blended. Let cool.
When cooled, add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa. Stir into the chocolate mixture.
In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold ¼ of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then fold in the remaining whites just until no white streaks show. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 30-40 minutes. Place on wire rack and let cool. Remove the outer ring when cake has cooled for about 10 minutes.
To make the glaze, combine the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a double boiler or heat-proof bowl as above, stirring until the chocolate melts. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Let cool, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. The glaze will thicken slightly.
When torte is completely cooled, set a wire rack over a baking sheet. Invert the torte onto the rack and lift off the bottom of the springform pan. Pour the glaze onto the torte, tilting the torte to coat the top and sides completely. When the glaze stops dripping, place the remaining hazelnuts around the top. Transfer torte to serving plate and serve.