Directions: |
Directions:Chocolate Leaves:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, to coat 12 camellia leaves
Torte:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1-3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2 tbsp. plus 1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tbsp. Grand Marnier or rum
Glaze:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
Garnish:
1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, ground
To prepare chocolate leaves: Melt chocolate over hot water, remove from heat. Using a small spatula, spread the underside of the camellia leaves with a thick coat of chocolate, making sure that the chocolate does not drip to the other side. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour or until completely hardened. Gently peel leaf away from chocolate and refrigerate until ready to use. Do not make leaves more than 24 hours in advance.
Lightly butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Cut a circle of wax paper to fit the bottom, lightly butter the paper and flour the pan. Tap out excess.
To prepare Torte: Melt chocolate over hot water in a double-boiler. Set aside to cool. Finely grind hazelnuts with 2 tbsp. sugar in a food processor. Remove hazelnut mixture.
Place 1/2 cup sugar and butter in processor and mix until blended; add melted chocolate. Mix. Add eggs and Grand Marnier or rum, process to blend. Add ground hazelnuts and mix, just to blend.
Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes; invert onto a second rack, remove paper and cool completely.
To prepare glaze: Melt chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler over hot water, stirring well as mixture melts. Remove mixture from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes, stirring often. Chocolate should be thickened slightly.
Place cake and rack on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Pour chocolate glaze over cake, gently pushing glaze over sides with a spatula. Let glaze set for about 5 minutes.
Cut a 6-inch circle of wax paper and gently place in center of cake. Sprinkle ground nuts around paper to form a circular trim of nuts. Remove paper and transfer cake to a serving platter. Decorate with 5 chocolate leaves in the the center and place remaining leaves around the cake.
Note: Hazelnuts can be roasted in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and place small batches of nuts in a kitchen towel, close and rub nuts together to remove skins. Continue with remaining nuts. |
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