Chocolate Drizzle Truffle Torte Food

DECADENT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TORTE

Steps:

• Get your equipment ready (see tips below). Break the chocolate in small pieces into a large heatproof bowl. Spoon in the syrup and pour in about a quarter of the cream. Stand the bowl over (not in) a pan of hot water over the lowest possible heat and leave until the chocolate has melted, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir to combine. Leave until barely warm - dip your little finger in to check.
• Get your cake tin ready. Do this while you are waiting for the chocolate to melt and cool so you're not hanging around. Cut open the plastic folder along the bottom, then cut out a disc to fit in the bottom of the tin and 3 strips to line the sides. (See step 2).
• Pour the rest of the cream into a very large bowl and tip in the coffee and cinnamon. Whip with a balloon whisk until the cream looks like step 3. When you shake the bowl the cream should wobble like a thick milkshake, and when you dribble some cream from the whisk, the trail it leaves in the cream below should disappear in 1-2 seconds.
• Fold the two together. Pour the cooled chocolate into the bowl containing the cream. With the largest metal spoon you've got, fold the cream and chocolate together in a figure-of-eight motion. Don't be nervous - keep going until they are evenly and smoothly mixed and the mixture has a soft, pillowy, downy texture - you will see and feel it thicken as you fold.
• Set the torte. Pour the chocolatey cream into the tin and level the surface with the back of the spoon. Put the tin in the fridge and leave to firm up. This can happen in under an hour, but you may need to leave it longer, depending on the coldness of your fridge (you can leave it overnight if this is more convenient).
• Unmould and serve. Unclip and remove the side of the tin, then remove the pieces of plastic around the sides. Invert a serving plate over the torte and turn the torte upside down on to it. Lift off the tin base and peel away the plastic. Dust all over with cocoa (including the plate if you wish to be fashionable) and serve in thin slices.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. Combine the chocolate and 1 1/2 sticks butter in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted and combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let cool slightly.
• Combine the eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Gently fold half of the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until just combined, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is no longer shiny and barely jiggles and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely in the pan. Remove the springform ring and transfer to a platter; dust with cocoa powder.

CHOCOLATE GLAZED CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes
• Make filling:
• Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.
• Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.
• Make glaze:
• Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water
• Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.

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.

CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE & TRUFFLE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 20cm springform tin. For the torte, break the chocolate into a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, and add the butter. Heat until melted, than take off the heat and stir until smooth. Cool for about 5 mins.
• Stir in the egg yolks and ground almonds. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then start to add the sugar, a spoonful at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stir a spoonful or two of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to slacken it, then carefully fold in the rest.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 mins until risen and just firm. Cool in the tin before turning out - don't worry if it cracks and sinks a bit. Peel off the lining paper.
• For the ganache, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream to just below boiling point, then pour onto the chocolate, stirring. When the chocolate has melted, add the butter and stir until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Cool slightly. Cut the cake in half and sandwich together with a third of the ganache. Use the rest to cover the top and sides of the cake.
• To decorate, melt the milk and white chocolates separately, either in a small bowl over a pan of simmering water or on medium in the microwave in 30 sec bursts. Drizzle alternately on top of the torte. The torte will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.

CHOCOLATE & CHESTNUT TRUFFLE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Grease a 25cm springform tin, then line the base and sides with baking paper. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and thick.
• Sift the flour and cocoa together onto the mixture, then gently fold in, followed by the butter. Pour into the tin, ease to the edges, then bake for 8-10 mins until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in the tin.
• Meanwhile, beat the chestnut purée and egg yolks until as smooth as possible. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water with half the cream. Remove from the heat, then beat into the chestnut mixture.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, whip the remaining cream until it holds its shape. Fold into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the egg whites. Drizzle the brandy, if using, over the sponge base, then pour the chocolate mix on top. Level the surface and chill for 5 hrs or overnight until firm. Chill for 2 days, or freeze for 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• To serve, carefully remove from the tin, strip off the paper and slide onto a cake stand. Dust heavily with cocoa.

TRUFFLE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan with parchment; grease paper., In a microwave, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, mix pecans and flour., In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy; gradually add sugar, beating 4-5 minutes or until mixture triples in volume. Gradually beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Fold in pecan mixture. Transfer to prepared pan., Bake 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Run a knife around sides of pan; remove rim from pan. Invert cake onto a wire rack; carefully remove pan bottom and parchment. Cool completely., For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir in butter. Refrigerate until mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes., Place cake on a serving plate. Pour ganache over cake and quickly spread to edges., Fill a food-safe plastic bag with melted white chocolate; cut a small hole in one corner of bag. Pipe thin horizontal lines 1 in. apart over ganache. Use a sharp knife to draw right angles across the piped lines. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

BAKER'S CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

Steps:

• Place chocolate in microwaveable bowl.
• Microwave on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Use teaspoon or fork to drizzle chocolate over dessert as desired.