Chocolate and Chestnut Torte
A heavy chocolatey cake, enriched with pureed chestnuts and ground almonds. Serve with a dollop of lightly whipped cream or some mascarpone blended with a touch of whiskey or rum. This torte is best served warm and will last for several days, it also freezes well. Left over torte can be mixed with a little cream, melted chocolate and rum to make truffles, simply mix, roll and dip in cocoa
Preparation time: 30 minutes Quantity: Serves 8 Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
200g / 8 oz ground almonds
100g / 4 oz plain flour- double sieved
200g – 2 bars dark cooking chocolate (70% coco solids)
1/3 tin chestnut puree (approx. 130g)
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
250g / 9 oz butter -soften
100g / 4 oz caster sugar
6 medium egg yolks
6 medium egg whites (from above)
Method
- Grease an 8-10 inch cake tin
- Beat the butter with the sugar till pale and smooth
- Slowly pour in the beaten egg yolks, beating all the time
- Add the mashed chestnut, beating well
- Beat in the ground almonds, grated chocolate and flour
- Meanwhile whip up the whites-to soft peaks
- Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven- gas 5 / 190°C / 375°F - for an hour or until cooked