Chocolate Chestnut Torte With A Kentucky Bourbon Cream
Recipe By : Cathy Cary, Chicago Tribune, 11-14-93
Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts Chocolate
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 Eggs -- separated, +2 yolks
1 1/2 c Sugar -- +1/3 c
4 tb Bourbon -- +2 ts
2 1/2 c Unsweetend chestnuts -- pureed
3/4 c Pecans -- ground, plus pecan
- pieces for garnish
2 ts Instant coffee
6 tb Butter -- chilled, cut into
- small pieces
1 1/2 oz Bitter chocolate -- chopped
3/4 lb Bittersweet chocolate
3 1/2 c Whipping cream
1/2 c Confectioners' sugar
Cake:
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans. Beat 6 egg
yolks well. Stir in 1-1/2 cups sugar and 1-1/2 ts bourbon, then
blend in 2 cups chestnut puree. Stir in ground pecans. Whip egg
whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold whites into batter.
Divide mixture between the two cake pans and bake for 25 minutes.
Cool on a cake rack, then remove from the pans.
Filling:
Beat the 2 egg yolks with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add instant coffee and
1 tb hot water. Beat Chilled butter into mixture, then add 1/2 ts
bourbon and stir in remaining 1/2 cup chestnut puree. Stir in
chopped bitter chocolate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and
refrigerate.
Melt bittersweet chocolate with heavy cream over low heat. Stir in
2 tb bourbon, transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate.
To assemble cake, spread the chilled chestnut filling atop one cake
layer and cover with the other. Cover the torte with the chocolate
icing and sprinkle with chopped pecan pieces. Chill before serving.
Meanwhile, prepare a bourbon chantilly to pass at the table. Whip
the 2 cups of cream to soft peaks, gradually beat in the
confectioners' sugar and then fold in 2 tb of bourbon.
Cathy Cary, who with her husband, Will, runs a catering business
(La Peche) and a 94 seat restaurant (Lilly's) in Louisville, KY.
This issue's feature centered around buffet items for holiday
parties.
