Chocolate Chestnut Torte with Chocolate Cognac Mousse

Name: Chocolate Chestnut Torte with Chocolate Cognac Mousse
Prep time: 5 h
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons baking soda; 227 grams fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped; 473 milliliters cake flour (not self-rising); 355 milliliters oz bottled whole shelled roasted chestnuts; 8 servings Garnish: caramelized chestnuts; 5 Tbsps Cognac; 2 larges egg whites; 4 larges eggs; 59 milliliters granulated sugar; 177 milliliters chilled heavy cream; 355 milliliters packed light brown sugar; 1 teaspoons salt; 177 milliliters sour cream; 6 Tbsps 3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 6 marrons glacés (candied chestnuts), finely chopped

Chocolate Chestnut Torte with Chocolate Cognac Mousse might be just the dessert you are searching for. This recipe serves 8. One portion of this dish contains around 11g of protein, 35g of fat, and a total of 765 calories. This recipe covers 13% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. A mixture of garnish: caramelized chestnuts, bottled roasted chestnuts, brown sugar, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so delicious. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 5 hours.

Instructions

Bring cream and butter to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat to low.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Cream

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Whisk in chocolate until smooth and remove from heat.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Transfer ganache to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring every 30 minutes, until thickened but spreadable, about 2 hours. (If ganache becomes too stiff, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened.)

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of parchment or wax paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

All Purpose Flour

Equipment you will use

Wax Paper

Oven

Pulse chestnuts with flour, baking soda, and salt in a food processor until finely ground.

Ingredients you will need

Baking Soda

Chestnuts

All Purpose Flour

Salt

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer or about 6 minutes with a handheld.

Ingredients you will need

Brown Sugar

Butter

Equipment you will use

Hand Mixer

Blender

Bowl

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla (mixture will look a little separated). Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and sour cream alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just combined.

Ingredients you will need

Sour Cream

Vanilla

All Purpose Flour

Egg

Divide batter evenly among pans and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and springy to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks, then invert onto racks and remove parchment.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, and stir in Cognac.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate

Butter

Cognac

Water

Equipment you will use

Double Boiler

Sauce Pan

Bowl

Transfer to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of softened butter, about 1 hour. (If mixture becomes too stiff, let stand at room temperature until softened.)

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Beat cream in a bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks, then chill, covered, while beginning to assemble torte.

Ingredients you will need

Cream

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Put 1 cake layer on cardboard round on a rack set in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep).

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Spread 1/2 cup ganache evenly over top of layer and sprinkle with all of chopped marrons glacés. Top marrons glacés with another 1/4 cup ganache and cover with another cake layer.

Ingredients you will need

Spread

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks.

Ingredients you will need

Egg Whites

Salt

Add sugar and beat at high speed until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir whipped cream into chocolate Cognac mixture, then stir in one third of whites to lighten. Fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon mousse immediately onto cake layer (it sets quickly), spreading evenly, then top with third cake layer. Chill torte, covered, until mousse layer is firm, about 1 hour. Keep remaining ganache at a spreadable consistency at room temperature, chilling, covered, if it becomes too soft.

Ingredients you will need

Whipped Cream

Chocolate

Cognac

Sugar

Reserve 1 1/4 cups ganache in a metal bowl, then spread remainder over top and side of torte to seal in crumbs. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Ingredients you will need

Spread

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Set bowl of reserved ganache over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until ganache reaches a pourable consistency.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Bowl

Remove bowl from heat and cool 5 minutes.

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Pour ganache evenly over top of torte, making sure it coats all of side. Shake rack gently to smooth glaze (let excess drip into baking pan).

Ingredients you will need

Shake

Equipment you will use

Baking Pan

Transfer cake on cardboard to a cake stand or plate using 2 large heavy metal spatulas and chill until set.

Equipment you will use

Spatula

Garnish just before serving.

• Cake layers can be made 3 days ahead, cooled completely, then chilled, individually wrapped well in plastic wrap. • Ganache can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Ingredients you will need

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Plastic Wrap

Let stand at room temperature 2 to 3 hours to soften to a spreadable consistency. • Torte can be assembled 2 days ahead and chilled, covered with a cake dome. • The egg whites in this recipe are not cooked. If salmonella is a problem in your area, you can use reconstituted powdered egg whites such as Just Whites.

Ingredients you will need

Dried Egg Whites

Egg Whites