Pecan Apricot Torte Food

FRENCH APRICOT TART RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475F.
• Place flour and sugar in food processor and pulse a few times. While processing, add butter, one tablespoon at a time until well incorporated.
• In a small bowl, add egg and water and mix well. While processing, add egg mixture in a slow stream and continue to process until dough comes together in a ball, take dough out.
• On a floured surface, dust the dough with flour and fraisage* the dough four or five times until the dough is smooth and doesn't stick to the surface. Form dough into a round shape, refrigerate 15 minutes.
• Roll dough out on a floured surface into the size and shape that will fit your 9 to 11 inch tart pan. Roll dough up onto rolling pin and transfer to tart pan. Push the dough into the pan at the edges. Using a rolling pin, roll along the top to cut the excess dough off, see pictures above. Poke holes in tart with a fork several times.
• Sprinkle tart with corn starch and sugar, add apricots.
• Bake tart on lowest rack for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 425F and continue baking for approximately 30 minutes or until tart is gently boiling and rim of crust is dark brown.
• Take the tart out and *unmold immediately to put on a cooling rack. When the tart has cooled, brush top with apricot and water mixture gently.

PECAN TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Beat egg whites in mixing bowl until medium-stiff peaks form; set aside. Sift together flour and cocoa powder; whisk in ground pecans and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks; mix in 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules and beat well. Fold yolk mixture into egg whites. Gently fold in flour, cocoa, and pecan mixture. Spread batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool slightly, then remove from pans to cool completely on wire racks.
• To Make Mocha Cream: Dissolve 1 tablespoon coffee granules in boiling water. Cool. Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar together in a cold mixing bowl until stiff. Mix in cooled coffee.
• Fill and frost cake with Mocha Cream and garnish with pecan halves. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE APRICOT TORTE

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl until thickened.
• Beat egg whites in a small bowl until foamy; gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into yolk mixture.
• Gradually fold in flour.
• Divide batter between 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden.
• Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool.
• BUTTERCREAM:Whisk sugar,eggs, yolks, vanilla and coffee in a saucepan.
• Add chocolate; cook and stir over low heat until thickened (be careful not to let it boil).
• Cool completely.
• Cream butter in a medium bowl;gradually add chocolate mixture and set aside.
• Finely chop the apricots; drain and place in a bowl.
• Stir in preserves and set aside.
• Split each of the cakes into two horizontal layers.
• Place one on a serving plate.
• Spread with 2/3 cup buttercream.
• Top with another cake layer and 2/3 cup apricot filling.
• Repeat these layers twice.
• Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
• Garnish with choclate curls before serving if desired.

PECAN TORTE

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and lemon-colored, about 5-6 minutes. Combine pecans and bread crumbs; stir into yolk mixture with vanilla. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Divide evenly among three greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. For frosting, combine milk and cornstarch in a saucepan until well blended. Add chocolate chips. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Cool to room temperature. In a bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate mixture; beat until fluffy. Spread between cooled cake layers. Frost top and sides. Garnish with pecans if desired.

CHOCOLATE APRICOT PECAN TORTE

Steps:

• For cake: Heat cognac in medium saucepan until just hot. Remove from heat and mix in apricots. Let soak 15 minutes. Strain apricots, reserving any soaking liquid for glaze.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2 inch springform pan with one tablespoon butter. Dust with 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Using electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time (mixture may look curdled). Add chocolate and vanilla. Mix in 2/3 cup breadcrumbs. Combine pecans and flour and blend into batter. Fold in apricots. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester, inserted into middle, comes out clean - about 50 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• Run knife around edge of cake. Invert onto platter. Slide sheets of waxed paper under edges of cake.
• For icing: Stir cocoa powder, sugar, whipping cream and butter in top of double boiler over simmering water until mixture is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Cool icing for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pour icing over cake , tilting cake to cover evenly. Using thin flat spatula, spread icing over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until icing is firm.
• For glaze: Add enough cognac to soaking liquid reserved from apricots to measure 2 tablespoons. Combine with jam in heavy saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until melted. Strain through fine sieve into small bowl. Cool until tepid, approximately 5 minutes.
• Pour glaze over top of cake. Using thin metal spatula, spread evenly -- do not let any drip down sides of cake. Arrange pecans around upper edge of cake, ends touching. Discard wax paper. Refrigerate cake until glaze is set. Cake can be prepared up to one day in advance.

PECAN-APRICOT TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Toast pecans for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they release their aroma. Cool completely, and grind to a fine powder. Place in a bowl; combine with flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks with half the granulated sugar until mixture is thick and pale and holds a 1-second ribbon. Beat in vanilla, and set aside.
• In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form again.
• Stir 1 cup of the whites into yolk mixture. Place a quarter of remaining whites on top, and sprinkle with a quarter of the flour-nut mixture. Fold in quickly. Repeat until both flour and whites are used up. Turn batter into pan, and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold.
• When cake is completely cool, invert and split into two layers with a serrated knife. Warm preserves; spoon 1 1/2 cups onto bottom layer. Replace top layer. Strain remaining preserves, and brush onto sides. Decorate cake with confectioners' sugar. Note: To make a chunkier preserve filling, simmer 1/2 cup dried apricots cut in pieces in water until soft, and add to warm preserves.