Snarls

Another for moisturemaniac

Ovens of Brittany
Queen of Sheba Torte
6 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup currants
3 Tbl brandy
6 oz (12 Tbl) butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 Tbl sugar, divided
1 tsp almond extract
5 eggs
¼ cup sliced almonds, minced
¼ cup minced walnuts
1 cup flour

Separate ingredients:
6 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped OR 1 cup chocolate chips
4 Tbl butter, in small pieces
additional slices almonds for decoration (optional)
1. Grease and flour a round cake pan, 8” in diameter and at least 2” high. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the first 6 oz of chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Set aside to cool. Heat together currants and brandy (40 seconds in microwave). Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, cream 6 oz (12 Tbl) softened butter with 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in almond extract. Separate eggs, setting whites aside in a clean bowl. Beat yolks into butter/sugar mixture. Stir the melted chocolate, currant/brandy mixture and nuts into the butter mixture.
3. Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add remaining Tbl sugar to egg whites and continue to beat until stiff but not dry. Stir a blob of egg whites into the chocolate batter, then alternately and gently fold in the remaining egg whites and flour.
4. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake 30-40 minutes. Torte is done when it jiggles a little in the very center when you shake it and the sides have shrunk away from the pan. A crust will form over top of whole cake. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out slightly gooey.
5. Cool cake 15-20 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. Meanwhile make chocolate glaze by melting remaining 6 oz chocolate (or 1 cup chips) and the butter pieces in a microwave or double boiler. Glaze should be cooled to room temperature, but should still be spreadable.
6. Spread glaze evenly around the sides and top of torte. Garnish with sliced almonds if desired, and chill briefly to set the glaze. Serve at room temperature.

__________________
formerly Castella
(my dogs aren't snarly, my hair is)

disneylove

it sounds good but i usually just go for my piece or two of fine chocolate. when i go out to dinner i look for a little pleasure like this recipe.

__________________
We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here and that is the English language ….and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people. —Theodore Roosevelt