Passover Orange Walnut Torte Food

ORANGE-DATE-WALNUT PASSOVER CAKE

Steps:

• Make a sugar syrup by stirring 1 1/2 cups of sugar into 1 1/2 cups of water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until syrup is reduced to 1/3 of its original volume. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.
• Coarsely grate rind of oranges. Then juice oranges, reserving juice and peel, and discarding any pith that remains. Combine reserved juice with enough prepared orange juice to make 2 cups.
• In a bowl, beat eggs with remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar. Add orange juice and oil, and continue mixing. Stir in salt, matzo meal, walnuts, dates and orange peel. Turn into greased pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Cut into 2-inch diamonds in pan.
• Stir liqueur into sugar syrup and pour over hot cake. Let sit a few hours before serving.

PASSOVER ORANGE WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Set oven rack at middle of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale, add sugar gradually, beating. Beat until very thick.
• Beat in orange juice, lemon juice and rind. Add matzo cake meal and potato starch gradually, beating. Beat until combined well. Fold in walnuts gently.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into the orange mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan (3 ½ inches deep) with a removable bottom. Bake about 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Invert pan over the neck of a bottle, let it cool upside down.
• Run a knife around edge of pan; remove side of pan. Run a knife under bottom of torte to release it.
• Transfer carefully with two spatulas to a serving plate. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.

WALNUT-DATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously grease a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan with softened butter or vegetable oil and dust with some matzo meal, knocking out excess.
• Pour hot water over dates in a large bowl and let stand 15 minutes to soften.
• Pulse walnuts in a food processor until chopped, then add 1/4 cup sugar and pulse until nuts are finely ground. Add matzo meal (2/3 cup), zest, cardamom, and salt and pulse until combined.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a slow stream, beating until whites hold stiff glossy peaks.
• Whisk yolks into date mixture. Fold one third of yolk mixture into whites, then fold in remaining yolk mixture gently but thoroughly. Fold all of nut mixture into batter.
• Spoon batter into cake pan and bake until golden and springy to the touch and cake just begins to pull away from side of pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE-WALNUT CAKE WITH ORANGE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of an 8-inch square cake pan with oil. Line bottom with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Brush parchment with oil.
• In a large bowl, whisk together matzo meal, ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and zest. Stir in oil, egg yolks, and orange juice.
• In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy, 1 minute. Increase speed to high; beat just until stiff (but not dry) peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir one-third of whites into batter, then fold in chopped chocolate. Gently fold in remaining whites (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake until cake is golden on top and springs back when lightly pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove cake using parchment and transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Serving: Place cake on a platter. Drizzle with melted chocolate; top with orange rounds and walnuts.

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE ORANGE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F Have ready an ungreased 10 inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep).
• Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until very thick.
• Add chocolate, orange juice and rind; beat to combine.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the ground walnuts, cake meal and potato starch. Fold into yolk mixture.
• In a separate bowl with clean, dry beaters, beat whites until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold in chocolate mixture into beaten whites.
• Scrape into pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes, until cake tests done. Invert pan over a bottle neck and let cake cool completely (cake will be upside down).
• Prepare the filling:.
• Melt preserves; stir in orange sections.
• Cool for 5 minutes.
• Prepare the chocolate glaze:.
• Heat orange juice until warm. Remove from heat, add chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Cool for 5 minutes.
• Run a knife around edge of pan; remove cake from pan.
• Slice cake in half horizontally.
• Spread orange filling over bottom half of cake. Replace top layer of cake. Coat cake with glaze. Garnish with remaining 1 cup nuts and the orange sections.

MOROCCAN PASSOVER TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
• Without washing the beaters, beat the eggs yolk in a small bowl with the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the yolks to the whites but do not stir.
• Add the walnuts and gently fold the ingredients together.
• Do the same with the coconut, one cup at a time.
• Pour the cake batter into a greased 9-inch spring form pan, and bake for 45 minutes until lightly brown on top.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Mix together the orange juice and orange liqueur. Pour over the cake while it is still in the pan.
• When the cake has cooled, place it in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
• Just before serving (add whipped cream here, if desired) garnish with bittersweet chocolate shavings.
• Store in the refrigerator.

WALNUT TORTE WITH COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using coarse grating disc (with large holes), grate walnuts in processor. Remove grating disc, leaving walnuts in processor bowl. Fit processor with metal blade. Using on/off turns, grind walnuts until finely ground but not pasty. Set aside 2 tablespoons ground walnuts for garnish.
• Butter bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until well blended. Stir remaining ground walnuts into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into nut mixture in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife between cake and pan sides to loosen; remove pan sides. Cool cake completely on rack (cake will fall in center). (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)
• Using electric mixer, beat cream, powdered sugar, coffee mixture, and vanilla in large bowl until peaks form. Spread coffee whipped cream onto top of cake. Sprinkle top with reserved ground walnuts; arrange walnut halves in center of cake. Cut cake into wedges.

WALNUT TWEED TORTE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Insert bottom of springform pan upside down (so that turned-up edge faces down for easier removal of cake).
• Pulse walnuts with 3 tablespoons matzo cake meal in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped (be careful not to pulse to a paste). Add remaining 5 tablespoons matzo cake meal and pulse until mixture resembles a grainy flour.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they form soft peaks. Add 2/3 cup sugar a little at a time, beating until whites just hold stiff peaks.
• Beat together yolks and remaining 2/3 cup sugar with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl at medium-high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or about 5 minutes with a handheld. Fold in nut flour, then zest, juice, and vanilla. Fold grated chocolate into batter gently but thoroughly. Fold in one third of whites to lighten batter, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour batter into ungreased springform pan, smoothing top, and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then run a thin sharp knife between cake and side of pan. Remove side of pan and cool cake completely. Invert cake onto rack and run knife between cake and bottom of pan to remove bottom, then flip onto a plate.

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with foil. Grease foil.
• Melt margarine and chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth and let cool.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat whites until stiff; about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat together yolks and sugar until thick and pale; about 1 minute. Blend in chocolate mixture and stir in almonds. Fold in beaten whites, 1/3 at a time, into chocolate until no streaks of white remain. Scrape into prepared pan.
• Place an 8 inch baking pan with 1 inch of water in it on the bottom rack of the oven (to make the torte more moist).
• Bake torte on center rack at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from pan and top is set in center. Cover the torte loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. Note: Don't worry if the cake cracks because the top will be on the bottom later.
• Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes and then carefully remove sides of pan. Invert onto a serving plate and cool completely.

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE TORTE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Stir chocolate and margarine in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool until lukewarm.
• Using electric mixer, beat yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until pale and very thick, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture in 2 additions and beat until well blended. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until whites are stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake torte until crust forms on top and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter and some moist crumbs still attached, about 55 minutes (top may crack). Run small sharp knife around torte to loosen. Cool in pan on rack (torte will fall and crack). Remove pan sides. Invert torte onto platter. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.)
• Grind 1/3 cup sugar in blender until fine powder forms. Place doily atop torte. Sift ground sugar over doily; gently remove doily. Garnish torte with raspberries, if desired. Serve with Raspberry Sauce.

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with foil.
• Grease the foil.
• Melt the margarine and chocolate over low heat or in the microwave.
• Stir until smooth and let cool.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, about about 2 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, beat together the yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 1 minute.
• Blend in the chocolate mixture and stir in the almonds.
• Fold in the beaten whites, 1/3 at a time, into the chocolate until no streaks of white remain.
• Scrape into prepared pan.
• Place an 8 inch baking pan with 1 inch of water in it on the bottom rack of the oven (to make the torte more moist).
• Bake the torte on center rack at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from pan and top is set in center.
• Cover the torte loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes of baking.
• Note: Don't worry if the cake cracks because the top will be on the bottom later.
• Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes and then carefully remove sides of pan.
• Invert onto a serving plate and cool completely.
• You can top with whipping cream or dust with confectioner's sugar if you want.