Recipe#8979

Title: Chestnut Torte

From: ehunt@bsc835.bsc.edu (Eric Hunt) 
 Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 Subject: Chestnut Almond Torte 
 Date: 24 Dec 1994 00:18:32 -0500 
 Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA 
 Message-ID: <199412181830.AA19154@UUCP-GW.CC.UH.EDU> 

 Categories: Desserts, American
       Yield: 10 servings
  
       4    Egg yolks
     3/4 c  Sugar
   2 1/4 c  Heaping cups (roughly 1/2lb
            -unshelled chestnuts, peeled
            -and put through food mill)
       2 tb Dark rum
       1 c  Whole, shelled almonds,
            -blanched, peeled, and
            -put through food mill
       5    Egg whites
            Unsalted butter
            Flour
 MMMMM------------------CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM-----------------------
       3 oz Semisweet chocolate
       1 c  Heavy cream, whipped
 MMMMM-----------------------APRICOT GLAZE----------------------------
       3 tb Apricot jam
       1 tb Dark rum
 MMMMM----------------------CHOCOLATE ICING---------------------------
       4 oz Semisweet chocolate
       6 tb Unsalted butter
  
   Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
   
   Beat yolks and sugar until very light and fluffy. This will take
   several minutes even with an electric beater. The end product should
   have an off-white color.
   
   Add chestnuts and run to yolk-sugar mixture. Blend together and add
   half the almonds.
   
   Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into mixture. Next, fold in
   rest of almonds and pour mixture into a buttered, floured, 10x2.5
   inch spring mold.
   
   Place filled mold in oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325 deg F
   and bake for 35 to 50 minutes more, until cake has pulled away
   slightly from sides of mold.
   
   Remove from oven, let cool, unmold, and cut into two layers of equal
   thickness, leaving spring mold bottom attached to bottom of 1 layer.
   
   Apply chocolate whipped cream to top of bottom layer and arrange the
   other layer on top of that.
   
   Several hours before serving, glaze top of top layer with hot apricot
   glaze.
   
   When glaze has set, prepare icing. Balance cake in one hand, with hand
   under spring mold bottom, and dribble icing over top of cake. Tilt
   cake back and forth to coat evenly. Put cake on a rack and finish
   icing sides with a table knife or spatula.
   
   Refrigerate until icing sets.
   
   Chocolate Whipped Cream Filling:
   
     Place chocolate and 3 tb water in a small pan, over low flame. Stir until
     chocolate melts into water and mixture is smooth. Start with 3 tb water
     and add more if necessary for smooth texture.
   
     Cool, but do not refrigerate. Combine with whipped cream.
   
   Apricot Glaze:
   
     Heat jam until it thickens slightly.
   
     Add rum off heat and apply immediately to cake.
   
   Chocolate Icing:
   
     Soften chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.
   
     Add butter to chocolate. When butter melts, stir it into chocolate until
     mixture is smooth and all lumps have disappeared. If icing is too thick
     to pour, add more butter. If it is too loose, add a small amount of 
     chocolate. It should coat the spoon heavily and drip slowly off.