Johns Chocolate Truffle Torte Recipes

THE FAMOUS CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TORTE

Steps:

• Start off by sprinkling the crushed biscuits all over the base of the tin. Next break the chocolate into sections and put them in a heat proof bowl together with the liquid glucose and the rum. Sit over a saucepan containing 5cm of barely simmering water, without the bowl touching the water - it will take 5-10 minutes to become melted, smooth and glossy. Stir, then take off the heat and leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes or so, until it feels just warm. Now, in a separate bowl, beat the cream to the floppy stage. Fold half into the chocolate mixture and then fold that mixture into the rest of the cream. When it is smoothly blended, spoon it into the prepared tin. Tap the tin gently to even the mixture out, cover with clingfilm and chill overnight. Just before serving, run a palette knife round the edge to loosen the torte, then give it a good shake and turn the whole thing out on to a serving plate (don' t be nervous about this - it's very well behaved). To serve, dust the surface with sifted cocoa powder and a few amaretti biscuits and, if you like, mark the top into serving sections . Have some chilled pouring cream to go with it; if you have any, a couple of tablespoons of amaretti liqueur will make a wonderful addition to the cream. NOTE: The torte does freeze well, but since you can also make it a couple of days in advance, this doesn't really seem necessary.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper. In 2-quart saucepan, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until well blended.
• In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites. Fold in toasted hazelnuts. Spread in pans.
• Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of cakes appear dry and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around side of each cake to loosen; remove from pan to cooling rack. Remove waxed paper. Cool completely.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 cups chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted; remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, just until thick enough to mound and hold its shape when dropped from a spoon. (If filling becomes too thick, microwave on High 10 to 15 seconds to soften.)
• Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Reserve 2 tablespoons filling. Frost side and top of cake with remaining filling. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons reserved filling. (If filling is too thick to drizzle, microwave on High 5 to 10 seconds to soften.) Garnish with hazelnuts.