Chocolate Pistachio Torte With Warm Chocolate Ganache Food

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO TORTE WITH WARM CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Pistachio paste:
• Finely grind nuts and sugar in processor. Add egg whites and blend well. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Transfer to small bowl and keep covered in refrigerator).
• Torte:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8-inch-diameter springform pan. Line pan bottom with parchment paper; butter paper. Place chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool chocolate to lukewarm.
• Measure 1/3 cup pistachio paste and transfer to small bowl (cover and reserve for another use). Place remaining pistachio paste in large bowl; add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until blended. Beat in egg yolks, then melted chocolate. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites with salt in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until firm peaks form. Sift brown sugar over and fold in. Using flexible rubber spatula, fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture in 4 additions; transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake torte until center is slightly puffed and tester inserted into center comes out with some batter still attached, about 1 hour. Cool torte completely in pan on rack (can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature).
• Ganache:
• Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat; add chocolate and whisk until smooth. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm before using). Cut torte into wedges; place on plates. Pour warm ganache over. Sprinkle with pistachios and serve.

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO FUDGE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the crust: Place the pistachios, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to roughly chop. Add the graham crackers and pulse until finely chopped. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the springform pan. Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• For the filling: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream, vanilla and salt until just beginning to simmer around the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 2 minutes, and then whisk until smooth and shiny. Pour the chocolate filling over the crust and sprinkle with the chopped apricots. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until ready to serve.
• Serve with whipped cream if desired.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Combine pecans, brown sugar, and flour in a small bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until pea-size crumbs form. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• While crust cools, place chocolate in a glass bowl. Set aside. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until edges of cream just begin to bubble, but do not boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and incorporated into cream. Let filling cool for 20 minutes.
• Pour filling into cooled crust. Chill torte in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove sides of pan prior to cutting.

CARAMEL-PISTACHIO TORTE WITH HALVAH AND DARK CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Combine flour, halvah, sugar, and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, process until blended to sandy texture. Add butter. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk egg yolks and 2 tablespoons ice water in small bowl to blend. Add to flour mixture. Using on/off turns, process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into 2 balls; flatten into disks. Wrap separately in plastic. Chill 1 hour.
• For filling:
• Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil until syrup turns deep amber or clip-on candy thermometer registers 360°F, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 11 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). Remove from heat. Carefully stir in cream (mixture will bubble). Add butter and whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in pistachios. Cool until lukewarm but still pourable, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick spray. Roll out 1 dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper to 11-inch round (dough will be about 1/3 inch thick). Remove top paper. Invert dough into prepared pan. Remove remaining paper. Trim dough overhang. Roll out second dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper to 10-inch round. Pour filling into prepared crust. Brush edges of crust with egg white. Remove top paper from second dough disk. Invert over filling. Remove paper. Press dough around pan edges to trim and seal.
• Place torte on baking sheet and bake until crust is golden, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Chill overnight.
• For glaze:
• Bring cream and butter just to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and corn syrup; whisk until smooth. Cool 5 minutes.
• Place rack over rimmed baking sheet. Remove sides from tart pan. Invert torte onto rack. Remove bottom of tart pan. Pour warm glaze over torte (bottom of torte becomes top). Let stand until glaze sets. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)
• Slice into thin wedges and serve.
• *A sesame confection available at delicatessens, Middle Eastern markets, supermarkets, and Italian markets.

CHOCOLATE WALNUT TORTE WITH RICH GANACHE

Steps:

• Tortes:.
• Place a rack in the center of the over and preheat to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the insides of 3 soup cans. Place the cans on a piece of parchment paper and trace the circumference of each. Cut out 3 rounds of parchment and line the bottom of each can with a round. Place the prepared cans on a baking sheet and set aside.
• Place the chocolate in a small bowl and microwave on medium until the chocolate begins to melt, about 1 minute. Then stir until smooth. Let cool.
• Place the walnuts and flour in a food processor and process until the walnuts are finely ground but not oily, about 10 to 15 seconds.
• Place the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and beat until cramy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla with the last yolk. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the melted chocolate until blended, about 10 to 15 seconds. Using a wooden spatula, gently stir in the ground walnut mixture.
• Wash the mixer beaters and dry them thoroughly. Place the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar in a small bowl and beat on high until the whites hold stiff peaks, about 60 to 90 seconds. Fold the egg-white mixture thoroughly but gently into the chocolate mixture.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared cans, dividing it evenly among them. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove the cans from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
• When the cakes have cooled, invert the cans over the wire rack to release them. Peel off the parchment paper and place the cakes upright on the racks.
• Ganache:.
• Pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate.
• Let the mixture stand until the chocolate softens, about 1 minute, then stir with a whisk until the chocolate is melted.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly, then pour about 3 tablespoons of lukewarm ganache over each cake, using a spatual to smooth the icing all over.
• Let the Cakes stand until the ganache is firm, about 1 hour. The Tortes will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth., For a pourable ganache, cool, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 85°-90° and is slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. Pour over cake, allowing some to drape down the sides. Spread ganache with a spatula if necessary to evenly coat, working quickly before it thickens. Let stand until set., For spreadable ganache, chill, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over cake.

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO TORTE

Steps:

• Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove bowl from pan. Whisk in sugar and vanilla, then eggs, buttermilk, and pistachios. Fold in flour mixture just until combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; run a knife around edge, and invert onto a wire rack. Remove paper, and let cool completely, about 3 hours. (To store, wrap in plastic, and keep at room temperature, up to 3 days).
• Make ganache: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer; remove from heat. Add chocolate, and let stand 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Let cool until mixture falls back in ribbons when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 6 minutes.
• Set cake on a serving platter; tuck strips of parchment paper under edge of cake to prevent ganache from dripping on platter. Pour ganache onto center of cake; using a table knife, spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes. Remove paper from under cake; sprinkle top with pistachios.