Chocolate almond flourless torte

 
                      Chocolate Almond Flourless Torte
 
 Recipe By     : Cooking Live Show #CL8862
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Cooking Live
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
   10      ounces        good imported bittersweet chocolate -- broken into piec
 es
      1/2  cup           (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine -- at room tempe
 rature
      1/2  cup           granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling
    5      large         eggs -- separated
      1/3  cup           finely ground almonds (done in a food
                         -- processor)
    2      tablespoons   kosher for passover cognac or dark rum
                         whipped cream
                         fresh raspberries -- optional
 
 Preheat oven to 300 degrees and grease well a 9-inch springform pan and line bo
 ttom with parchment paper.
 
 Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. When the cho
 colate is melted, turn off the heat and leave it over the hot water to cool slo
 wly.
 
 Meanwhile in a large bowl, beat the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the 
 mixture is fluffy and almost white. Add egg yolks and beat for 1 minute. Add th
 e almonds and cognac and beat 2 minutes more.
 
 In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until light and foamy while gradually a
 dding the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating the whites until they are s
 tiff and shiny.
 
 Add the melted chocolate to the egg yolk mixture and mix with a rubber spatula 
 until well combined. Fold in 1/4 of this chocolate mixture into the egg whites;
  then gradually fold the egg whites back into the rest of the chocolate mixture
 , taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan
  and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out covered with a thic
 k, moist, not wet, and crumby coating. Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes in the
  pan.
 
 Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn the cake out onto a plate. Rem
 ove the parchment paper. Sprinkle with the sugar. Serve at room temperature or 
 chilled with whipped cream and raspberries on the side.
 
 Yield: 10 to 12 servings
 
 
 
 
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