Three Nut Torte Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cut butter into flour until crumbly; stir in the peanuts. Press onto the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack., For filling, in a large bowl, beat the sugar, cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Spread over crust. , For topping, in another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Spread over filling. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with chocolate if desired. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Steps:

• Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar for 10 minutes or until light lemon-colored. Beat in vanilla. Combine cake flour and baking powder; add to egg mixture alternately with water, beating well. Fold in walnuts., In another bowl and with clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into batter; fold in remaining whites. , Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small saucepan, whisk the milk and pudding mix. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Pour into a bowl; press a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap over pudding. Refrigerate for 30 minutes., In a bowl, cream the butter, shortening and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and cooled pudding. Split each cake into two layers. Place one bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with about 3/4 cup filling. Repeat layers. Garnish with chocolate curls if desired.

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat eggs. Gradually add sugars and beat until well mixed. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture and stir until moistened. Stir in nuts and dates. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan., Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Torte top will be crusty and the inside chewy. Cool. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Steps:

• Butter a baking sheet or line it with a Silpat (a French baking mat). Bring sugar and the water to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves; wash down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Continue cooking, without stirring, until caramel is dark amber, swirling pan to color evenly. Remove from heat.
• Immediately pour caramel onto prepared baking sheet. Let sit until hardened and completely cool; coarsely chop. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment, and sprinkle with flour, tapping out excess.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. In a separate bowl, toss together nuts, chocolate, zest, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle over yolk mixture; do not mix in.
• Whisk egg whites in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a pan of simmering water until whites are warm to the touch. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with clean whisk attachment; beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff and glossy peaks form.
• Fold egg-white mixture into egg-yolk mixture, one-third at a time. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, and spread with an offset spatula to smooth the tops. Bake until springy to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of each cake to loosen, and invert cakes onto wire racks, removing parchment paper. Let cool completely.
• Place one cake layer on a turntable or flat work surface. Spread 1 1/4 cups buttercream evenly over the top. Place second cake layer on buttercream; evenly spread 1 1/4 cups buttercream over the top. Place final cake layer on top; evenly spread remaining 1/2 cup buttercream on top. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes while you make the ganache.
• Transfer cake to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour ganache over top of cake; use an offset spatula to smooth top and sides. Place cake in the refrigerator, and let ganache set, at least 30 minutes, before serving.

Steps:

• Place nuts in a food processor and grind until finely ground.
• In a bowl beat 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of the butter until blended. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the ground nuts, lemon juice, lemon peel and all but 2 tablespoons of the flour.
• In a deep bowl beat egg whites with a mixer on high speed until soft peeks form. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture.
• Spoon the batter into a buttered and floured 9-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the torte is very lightly browned and the center feels just barely firm to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• To prepare the topping, in a medium sized pot melt remaining 1/2 cup butter over a medium heat. Add the remaining sugar, flour and nuts. Stir the mixture until bubbling. Immediately spoon the toffee topping evenly over hot torte, pushing nuts with a spoon to arrange decoratively. Return to oven and bake until nuts and topping are slightly more brown, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.
• Cool torte in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife inside the pan rim to release. Remove pan rim. Serve torte warm or cool.
• TIP: PAN ROASTING ALMONDS
• Spread shelled nuts in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven, stirring often, until golden, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line the bottom of a greased 9-in springform pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and dust with cocoa. Set aside., Place hazelnuts and brown sugar in a food processor; cover and process until ground. In a second large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate, espresso powder, extract and salt. Gradually add hazelnut mixture., In the first large bowl, with clean beaters beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Spread into prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet., Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove sides of pan and invert onto a serving plate., Place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache reaches a spreading consistency, about 30 minutes., Spread ganache over top and sides of cake; press almonds onto sides. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using coarse grating disc (with large holes), grate walnuts in processor. Remove grating disc, leaving walnuts in processor bowl. Fit processor with metal blade. Using on/off turns, grind walnuts until finely ground but not pasty. Set aside 2 tablespoons ground walnuts for garnish.
• Butter bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until well blended. Stir remaining ground walnuts into yolk mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into nut mixture in 2 additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife between cake and pan sides to loosen; remove pan sides. Cool cake completely on rack (cake will fall in center). (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)
• Using electric mixer, beat cream, powdered sugar, coffee mixture, and vanilla in large bowl until peaks form. Spread coffee whipped cream onto top of cake. Sprinkle top with reserved ground walnuts; arrange walnut halves in center of cake. Cut cake into wedges.

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan, and pour over chocolate. Whisk gently until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in corn syrup. Let cool and thicken slightly, about 10 minutes, before using.