Italian chocolate Amaretto Torta

Italian chocolate Amaretto Torta

Serves 8 , prep time 25 minutes plus cooling. Cook 35 minutes

Ingredients

110g dark chocolate

110 unsalted butter, at room temperature

110 caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp

3 large eggs, separated

60g amaretti biscuits, crushed

60g plain flour

Sifted icing sugar, whipping cream, fresh berries, to serve

Method

1-    Heat oven 180/fan 160/gas 4. Butter and line a loose-bottom 20cm sandwich tin, then butter again and dust with flour. Put the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of steaming water and leave to melt- do not let the bowl touch the water. Remove from heat, stir and cool.

2-    Put the butter and 110 caster sugar in a bowl and, using a wooden spoon or a mixer, beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and then stir in the cooled chocolate. When thoroughly blended, fold in the crushed biscuits and flour with a metal spoon.

3-    Put the egg white into a clean, grease-free bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form. Whisk the remaining sugar (1 tbsp) to make stiff glossy meringues, and then fold into the cake mixture in 3 batches.

4-    Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, then bake for 25-30 minutes or until just firm to touch. Let the torta cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5-    Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream and fresh berries

 

Swiss Roll

Swiss Roll

Ingredients

For the Swiss roll

• 3 free-range  eggs 
• 75g/3oz golden caster sugar 
• 75g/3oz flour
• teaspoon baking powder or you can use self-raising flour 

For the filling

• 75g/3oz strawberry jam 
• 125ml/4½fl oz whipped double cream
• 
  
• To serve

• 2 tbsp icing sugar 

Preparation method

1.   Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.Grease and line a 23cm x 30cm/9in x 12in Swiss roll tin

2.   Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.

3.   Fold in the flour and spoon the mixture into the tin. Bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until light and springy to the touch.

4.   Remove from the oven and turn the sponge out onto another piece of greaseproof paper.

5.   For the filling, spread the jam onto the sponge and then spread with the cream, leaving a small gap around the edges.

6. Roll up from one short end using the sugared greaseproof to help you.

7.   Dust with icing sugar and serve

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/swiss_roll_08913  

with some changes

Tart Tatin

Tart Tatin

100g  golden caster sugar

100g butter

6-7 cooking apples peeled quartered and cored

Pkt of puff pastry

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C. Melt the butter in a 20cm tart tatin tin over a medium heat on top of the hob, then stir in the sugar and heat until starting to caramelise. Pile in the apples and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then to coat them in the caramelised juices – the apple juices will ooze out at first but will soon thicken and make a sauce. Remove from the heat.

2.    Unroll the pastry and prick it all over with a fork. Quickly lay the pastry over the apples. Trim away any excess with scissors, allowing a rim of about 2cm, then tuck the pastry snugly round the apples down the inside of the tin.

3.    Bake the tin in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes until the pastry is risen, firm and golden. Mix the crème fraîche with the icing sugar. When the tart is cooked, leave it to settle in the tin for 5 minutes or so before running the blade of a knife round the edge to dislodge any pastry that has stuck. Invert a plate over the top and turn out the tart, with any juices left in the tin. Serve  with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.

http://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/recipes/1334/tart-tatin-with-brandy-cream?GEO_REDIRECTED=true#.VI8mGyuUdR4

I did some changes