Chocolate & Red Wine Torte with Fresh Strawberries
July 3, 2020
Recipe makes one 9 inch or 10 inch springform pan; Yields 16 to 20 portions
For the Crust:
10 oz. Cashews
¾ cup Sugar
4.5 oz. Butter, melted
Grind nuts and sugar in a food processor to fine grain consistency. With motor running, add melted butter through the feed tub and mix for 1 minute. Line the springform pan with parchment paper and press the crust mixture into the base only of the pan. Bake at 325F 20 minutes till evenly browned. Cool crust before filling.
For the Red Wine Ganache Filling:
3⁄4 cup Heavy Cream
3⁄4 cup Good Quality Red Wine
1⁄2 cup Sour Cream
1⁄2 cup Sugar
18 oz. Bittersweet Dark Chocolate (6065% cocoa)
Cocoa powder as needed
Whisk together cream, wine, sour cream and sugar in a saucepan. Over low heat bring mixture to a simmer and whisk until smooth. Place chocolate in a clean bowl and pour hot cream mixture over; allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes to melt the chocolate, then whisk until completely smooth. Immediately pour ganache over the macadamia nut crust in the spring form pan. Chill torte overnight before slicing.
When ready to serve, dust the top of the torte (while still in the spring form pan) with cocoa powder. Heat a sharp, thin bladed knife over a flame (such as a blow torch or gas burner). Slice around the inside edge of the pan to release the torte. Carefully remove the outer ring of the pan and then remove the base of the pan and peel away the parchment. Slice the torte into desired sized pieces heating the thin blade knife before each cut. Be sure to wipe the knife clean with a damp towel between each slice.
Strawberries to serve with:
1 pound Fresh Strawberries, hulls removed, berry thinly sliced
Juice of half a lemon
Drizzle of Honey or Maple Syrup
Pinch of Sea Salt
Mix all ingredients together; allow strawberries to macerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.