Almond Praline For Genoise Torte Food

ALMOND PRALINE CAKES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Pour into four 8-oz. ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with almonds; set aside. , In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Spoon over almonds. , Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert plates. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ALMOND PRALINE CAKE WITH MASCARPONE FROSTING AND CHOCOLATE BARK

Steps:

• For ganache filling:
• Simmer cream and sugar in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Chill until just spreadable, about 6 hours.
• For almond cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Using heavy-duty mixer, blend brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat in almond paste 1 piece at a time, then beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack.
• For almond praline:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush occasionally. Mix in nuts. Pour onto foil; cool. Peel foil off praline. Chop praline coarsely. DO AHEAD Praline can be made 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
• For mascarpone frosting:
• Beat all ingredients in large bowl just to soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• Run knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; peel off paper. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with third cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD Cake can be made 1 day ahead; cover with cake dome and chill. Store remaining praline airtight at room temperature.
• For chocolate bark:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from over water. Drizzle all but 1 tablespoon chocolate over foil in thick (about 1-inch-wide) zigzag lines (chocolate will pool in spots). Sprinkle 3 tablespoons praline over chocolate; chill bark until firm, about 1 hour.
• Press praline around bottom 2 inches of cake; sprinkle more atop. Peel foil off bark; break into pieces. Press edges into frosting atop cake. Remelt 1 tablespoon chocolate over simmering water, stirring often. Using spoon, drizzle chocolate over cake. DO AHEAD Chill up to 4 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

GENOISE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper and grease it as well. Lightly flour pan and paper.
• Sift together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt onto a piece of wax paper.
• Place the eggs into a mixing bowl set over a pan of hot (not boiling) water. Add the 1/2 cup sugar to the eggs and whisk until the mixture feels warm (not hot) to the touch, about body temperature. Place the bowl onto a mixer and beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes pale yellow in color and falls off the end of the whisk attachment in long ribbons. Add the vanilla. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the beaten egg and fold in. Continue to add the remainder of the flour, folding it in each time.
• Place about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl containing the melted butter and combine the butter with the batter. Add this back to the main batter and fold it in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Immediately bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 25 minutes or until the top is a light brown. Cool in pan on a rack about 10 minutes and then invert onto a rack. It is best to invert it again onto another rack so that it cools with the top up. Let cool completely before cutting or frosting.

ALMOND PRALINE FOR GENOISE TORTE

Steps:

• Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until sugar turns light amber, about 7 minutes.
• Add almonds and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until almonds are toasted and caramel turns dark amber. Pour onto prepared sheet. Let cool completely.
• Break into shards. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until finely ground with a few larger pieces remaining.

GENOISE TORTE WITH CHOCOLATE- AND PRALINE-CARAMEL MOUSSES

Steps:

• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 teaspoon gelatin over 1 tablespoon water in another heatproof bowl. Let soften about 3 minutes.
• Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until sugar turns dark amber, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Slowly add 1 cup cream and the butter, stirring until butter has melted. Put 2/3 cup caramel into a medium bowl; set aside. Stir remaining caramel and the unsweetened chocolate in another medium bowl; set aside.
• Set 1 bowl of softened gelatin over a pan of simmering water, and stir until gelatin has melted. Repeat with remaining bowl of gelatin. Pour larger batch of gelatin into plain caramel. Pour smaller batch of gelatin into chocolate caramel. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Whisk remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into plain caramel mixture; fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate-caramel mixture. Refrigerate the mousses until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Stir almond praline into plain caramel mousse.
• Stir Cognac and simple syrup in a small bowl. Assemble torte: Place 1 cake rectangle on a platter; brush with one-quarter of the Cognac syrup. Spread with half the chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with praline-caramel mousse. Refrigerate 10 minutes to set. Top with another cake rectangle; brush with one-quarter of the syrup. Spread with remaining chocolate-caramel mousse. Top with remaining cake rectangle; brush with remaining syrup. Clean edges with an offset spatula. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with bittersweet chocolate shavings.

CLASSIC GENOISE

Steps:

• Place a 1-quart saucepan half filled with water over high heat and bring it to a simmer. Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the simmering water. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the mixing bowl and make an egg foam by whisking the mixture to 113 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 10 minutes. The egg foam passes through various stages becoming foamy, then smooth and finally it thickens. When it is thick, it will be hot to the touch, tripled in volume, and light in color and the sugar will have completely dissolved. If you dip the whisk into the mixture and pull it out, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and whip the batter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it cools, increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes. Take the time to whip it well; if the mixture is under whipped, the baked genoise will be dense. Very, very carefully, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible, making sure to fold to the bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate. Fill buttered and parchment paper-lined 8-inch round cake pans 3/4 full with batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until well-risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Let the genoise cool slightly. Unmold, remove parchment paper and finish cooling on a wire rack. The baked genoise can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Return it to room temperature before using it.
• VARIATION: Make this recipe into a Chocolate Genoise by substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for 10 to 20 percent of the weight (a scant 1/4 cup to a full 1/3 cup) of the flour. Weigh the cocoa powder before you sift it.
• Jacques' Tip: Genoise can be made with butter. In this recipe, you can substitute butter (5 1/2 tablespoons) for the 3 large egg yolks. Melt and cool the butter and fold it in after the flour is added.

ALMOND AND HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Line a plate with wax paper.
• Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add sugar, almonds, and hazelnuts, stirring continuously until almonds and nuts are evenly coated with caramel, about 10 minutes.
• Carefully tip nut-sugar mixture onto the wax paper--mixture will be very hot. Let cool for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Break praline in large pieces and serve as-is or place in a food processor with a blade and chop to desired consistency.

ALMOND MERINGUE TORTE WITH PRALINE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Make meringue layers:
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar in a slow stream, beating until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in almonds and sift flour over meringue. Fold in flour gently but thoroughly and divide meringue between cake pans, smoothing it evenly. Bake layers in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until pale golden and firm to the touch. Invert layers onto racks and cool.
• Make praline:
• Line a baking sheet with foil.
• In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook, without stirring, swirling pan, until a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and stir in almonds and hazelnuts. Immediately pour mixture onto baking sheet tilting baking sheet to make a thin layer and cool completely. Break praline into pieces and transfer to a plastic bag. Crush praline coarse with a rolling pin. Praline may be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Make buttercream:
• In a small heavy saucepan simmer milk, sugar, and vanilla bean if using, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. In a bowl whisk yolks and add milk mixture in a stream, whisking. Transfer mixture to pan and cook over low heat, stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 170°F. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into another bowl and cool completely. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter until light and fluffy and beat in custard, a little at a time, until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup praline (reserving remaining praline for another use) and vanilla extract if using.
• Assemble torte:
• Stack meringue layers, spreading some buttercream generously between them. Spread remaining buttercream on top and side of torte. Press chopped toasted almonds onto top and side of torte and sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar. Torte may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Let torte stand at cool room temperature 2 hours before serving.

PRALINE TORTE WITH CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE FILLING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375. Grease and flour three 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; set aside.
• In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups butter and egg yolks; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Fold in egg whites. Pour batter into greased and floured pans.
• Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.
• In small heavy saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in 1 T. butter and 1/3 cup of whipping cream. If necessary, refrigerate until thickened and of desired spreading consistency, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Line cookie sheet with foil. In small skillet over low heat, cook almonds and 1/4 cup of sugar, stirring constantly, until sugar is melted and almonds are coated. Place on foil-lined cookie sheet; cool. Place coated almonds in plastic bag; coarsely crush with wooden mallet or rolling pin. Set aside.
• Assemble torte 2 to 3 hours before serving. Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with half of filling. Repeat with second cake layer and remaining filling. Top with remaining cake layer. In small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups whipping cream, 1 T. sugar, instant coffee granules and almond extract; beat just until stiff peaks form. DO NOT OVERBEAT.
• Reserve 2 T. crushed almonds for garnish; fold in remaining crushed almonds. Frost top and sides of cake. Before serving, garnish with reserved crushed almonds. Cover; store in refrigerator.