Fran Mcgoverns Torte Recipes

FRAN MCGOVERN'S TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. In a large pot cover potatoes with water. Boil until skin cracks and potatoes are not mushy. While potatoes are still hot, peel of the skin. In a large saucepan melt butter and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and onions, saute until soft and transparent. Add the basil and the parsley. Mash the potatoes and add onion mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon. Stir in Parmesan cheese a little at a time. Add eggs and pepper. Taste and add salt if necessary. (sometimes salt isn't necessary because cheese has salty taste) Crust: Put flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the flour. In the center add egg yolks and salt, then add oil. Mix with fingers. Add cold water, a little at a time, and work with your fingers. Start kneading the dough for about 10 minutes until it blisters. Roll out on a floured board. Dough will be very hard. Roll out to a rectangular shape. Lay the dough in the pan with edges hanging over the sides. Make sure the pan is greased with butter. Pour potato mixture into the pastry shell, spread the mixture evenly, fold over dough that was hanging over the sides the center will be exposed. Beat egg with a little water and brush over the top. Bake in oven for 45 minutes.
• Cut into squares and serve warm.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Coat bottom and bottom inch of sides of a 10-inch spring-form pan with softened butter. Layer 1 cup chopped hazelnuts on bottom of pan. In food processor or blender, combine remaining 1 cup hazelnuts, eggs, pudding mix, and melted butter. Process until well-mixed and nuts are ground fine. Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until edges of torte are firm but center jiggles when pan is shaken. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Release pan sides. Cool to lukewarm then transfer to serving plate and dust with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Serve at warm or at room temperature.

"EXPRESS" DOBOSCH TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter until smooth and add the sugar. Continue whipping until the mixture becomes fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Note: this process can be done with a whisk by hand. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, taking care that each egg is thoroughly integrated. Add the flour mixture and combine. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk to blend.
• Grease the 2 pans with butter and fill each with half of the batter. Place the pans in the center of the oven. Bake until the center is firm or when the tip of a small knife emerges clean when it pierces the center of each cake, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool thoroughly, 1 hour at least. Once completely cool, using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally to form 4 equal layers. Place the layers on a flat surface. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate and sugar. In a medium pot over low heat, combine the heavy cream and vanilla and bring to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and stir until all of the chocolate has melted. Gently whisk in the butter pieces. Set aside to cool.
• When the frosting is cool, whip the frosting in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip to lighten the frosting, 1 to 2 minutes. Frost each layer of the cake, stacking them neatly and uniformly on top of each other. Then frost the entire outside of the cake as well.
• In a medium skillet, heat the sugar until it "melts" and turns a caramel color. Stir in the butter. Pour the caramel directly over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides to create a caramel shell. Allow the caramel topping to cool and harden on top of the cake.

JAN'S FORGOTTEN TORTE

Steps:

• This dessert should be prepared the night before it is to be served.
• Let egg whites stand at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Add cream of tartar and salt to egg whites.
• Beat until quite foamy.
• Add sugar gradually, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add extract and beat until meringue is quite stiff.
• Butter just the bottom of a 2 pice tube pan.
• Spread meringue in pan.
• Place in oven and TURN OFF HEAT.
• Let stand in oven overnight or for at least 6 hours.
• Turn onto a serving place and place in the refrigerator until it is well chilled.
• Make whipped cream and spread it on the top and sides of the torte.
• Spoon raspberries onto each serving.

HAZELNUT LINZER TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roast the hazelnuts until they smell toasty. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Rub off the skins and cool the nuts another 15 minutes.
• In a food processor grind the nuts with the sugar until finely ground but not pasty. With your hands work in the butter, flour and chocolate together. Add the eggs, one at a time. You just need the egg to hold the dough together; you may need only 1.
• Butter a 13 1/2 x 5 x 2 1/2 inch deep meatloaf pan. Spread about 2/3 of dough in the bottom and up the sides of the pan, spread the jam in the middle and top with more dough. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 5 minutes more, then reduce heat to 300 and bake for 1 hour longer or 1 1/4 hours in all. To test insert a cake tester in dough and it should come out dry. Can be made days ahead of time.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet until lightly golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Cool slightly, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground, but not pasty.
• Melt 12 tablespoons butter and the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until the chocolate is smooth, then remove from the heat and cool slightly. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter and coat with the breadcrumbs, tapping out the excess.
• Set aside 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Combine the 6 egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest, rum and salt, then beat in the melted chocolate until smooth. Mix in the ground almonds until just combined.
• In a clean bowl, beat the 3 egg whites with a mixer until foamy. Gradually beat in the reserved 2 tablespoons granulated sugar on high speed until almost stiff. Stir one-third of the whites into the chocolate batter, then gently fold in the rest. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the top is firm and cracked (a toothpick inserted into the cake will be fudgy), 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the ring. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with confectioners' sugar and whipped cream, if desired.