This is a really lovely
simple dessert that lends itself to lots of different aliases. I've
given four ideas below but please let me know if you have one of your own you
try.
300g dark chocolate (minimum 50% cocoa solids)
250g unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs (Med)
100g caster sugar
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
130g ground almonds
70g S/R Flour
You will also need a 25cm (10 inch) springform
or loose-bottomed tin, lightly greased
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl
over a pan of simmering water.
Separate the eggs and whisk the whites until
they produce a stiff peak.
Beat the yolks and sugar together until pale,
light and fluffy. Fold in the almonds, flour, salt and vanilla, with a metal
spoon being careful not to knock out any of the air, fold in the chocolate
and melted butter. Add a spoon of the whites and beat in, before carefully
folding in the remaining whites.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in
the preheated oven, on the middle shelf, for 30-40 minutes or until the torte
begins to come away from the sides of the tin.
Remove the
ring from the tin, but not the base, and leave the torte to cool completely.
Chill for a minimum of 2 hours, then carefully slide off the base onto a plate
before dusting with icing sugar and serving.
Pimped version, whipped cream, orange syrup, raspberries
chocolate bark, maltesers, matchmakers & orange slices
Ideas for different flavours
*Mix the zest of 2 oranges in along with the
melted chocolate. Warm the juice of the oranges in a pan with 40g caster sugar
until the sugar is totally dissolved and the juice is reduced by half, brush
over the warm torte.
*Whip 300ml of double cream with a tsp of
vanilla extract spoon onto the cold torte and tumble 250g raspberries onto the
cream drizzle with melted dark chocolate.
*Drizzle the cold torte with white and milk
chocolates, sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds and crystallised ginger
pieces.
*Spread the top of the cold torte with 3 heaped
tbsp of warmed Nutella then sprinkle with roughly chopped hazelnuts.
