Caramel Coffee Nut Torte Recipes

X-TREME CHOCOLATE DOUBLE-NUT CARAMEL LADYFINGER TORTE RECIPE COURTESY SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE

Steps:

• Microwave chocolate morsels on high for 90 seconds or until melted, stirring at 30 second intervals; cool 5 minutes, and set aside.
• Split ladyfingers, and stand halves around edge of a 9-inch springform pan, placing rounded sides against pan; line bottom of pan with remaining halves. Reserve remaining ladyfingers for another use. Spread hazelnut spread evenly over ladyfingers on bottom of pan.
• Cook caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until melted. Stir in pecans until coated; spoon caramel mixture evenly over hazelnut spread.
• Beat 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar and cream cheese in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add crème de cacao; beat until blended. Beat in melted morsels until blended.
• Beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff; fold into cream cheese mixture, and spoon evenly over caramel layer in pan.
• Shave baking squares with a vegetable peeler evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar. Chill 1 hour before serving.

CARAMEL NUT TART

Steps:

• Make the tart dough: Whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the cut up pieces of butter and use a pastry cutter to cut into the flour mixture until the butter pieces are no bigger than a pea. (You can use a food processor for this if you want.) Sprinkle with vanilla and add 3 tablespoons of ice water. Use a fork to work the water and vanilla into the dough. (You can use a food processor.) Add up to a tablespoon more of ice water, just enough so that the dough easily sticks together when you pinch it with your fingers. Form the dough into a ball, kneading once or twice if necessary, and flatten into a disk. Wrap the dough disk in plastic and chill for 1 hour.
• Pre-bake the crust: Bake the crust at 375°F for 20 minutes, piercing the bottom with fork if bubbles form. Transfer to a rack to cool.

CARAMEL NUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Between 2 sheets of wax paper roll out dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer dough to a baking sheet and chill 10 minutes. Lift top sheet of wax paper from dough and gently replace on top (this will facilitate removal of paper later). Flip dough over, discarding wax paper now on top, and carefully invert dough into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Lightly press dough up side of rim, using pieces from overhang to patch any holes. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Line shell with foil, folding over edge to cover pastry entirely, and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell on a baking sheet in middle of oven 35 minutes and carefully remove foil and weights or rice. If bottom of crust still has patches of translucent undercooked dough, return shell to oven without foil and weights or rice and bake until pastry is completely cooked and golden, 3 to 5 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Reduce temperature to 350°F.
• Coarsely chop nuts. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and honey, stirring, and simmer 1 minute. Stir in nuts and cream. Simmer mixture 1 minute and pour into shell. Bake tart on baking sheet in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until filling is a few shades darker. Cool tart in pan on rack.
• Chop chocolate and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool chocolate slightly and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip (slightly smaller than 1/8 inch). (Alternatively, transfer chocolate to a small heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Squeeze chocolate into one corner of bag and with scissors cut a tiny slice off corner to form a small hole.) Pipe thin lines of chocolate over tart in a back and forth motion to form stripes. Tart may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Serve caramel tart chilled or at room temperature with ice cream and tuiles.

FROZEN COFFEE-FUDGE TORTE WITH VANILLA CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For Vanilla Caramel Sauce:
• Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil sauce without stirring until thick enough to coat spoon or attach candy thermometer and boil until thermometer registers 224°F, about 7 minutes. Strain sauce into medium bowl. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before using.)
• For Fudge Sauce:
• Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate, espresso powder, and cinnamon. Whisk until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth. Cool.
• For Crust and Filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind first 4 ingredients in processor. Add warm butter. Using on/off turns, blend just until crumbs are evenly moist. Firmly press half of crust mixture (about 3 cups) over bottom of 10-inch springform pan; press remaining crumb mixture up sides of pan. Freeze crust 10 minutes. Bake crust until slightly golden, about 14 minutes. Cool crust completely.
• Spread 1/3 of ice cream (about 1 2/3 cups) evenly over bottom of crust. Spread 1 cup fudge sauce over. Freeze 10 minutes. Spread 1/3 of ice cream, then 1 cup fudge sauce over. Freeze 10 minutes. Spread remaining ice cream over. Drizzle with remaining fudge sauce. Freeze torte until firm, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.)
• Let torte stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Cut around pan sides to loosen. Remove pan sides. Cut torte into wedges. Serve with warm vanilla caramel sauce.

THREE-NUT TORTE

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.

CARAMEL FOR THREE-NUT TORTE

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.

CARAMEL-NUT TART

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Have ready two 9-inch tart pans with removable bottoms. Cut out two 12-inch parchment circles, and set aside. Lightly flour a clean work surface. Roll out one disk of pate sucree to a 12-inch circle with a 1/4-inch thickness. Roll dough onto rolling pin, and unroll over one of the tart pans. Press pastry into place, being careful not to stretch dough; use a paring knife to trim any overhanging dough. Repeat with remaining disk pate sucree and tart pan. Chill both pans for 30 minutes.
• Line pastry with parchment circles, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until pastry begins to take on color, about 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights; continue baking or until light golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap in plastic; set aside until ready to use.
• Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Place butter, both sugars, honey, and heavy cream in a large saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes. Stir in nuts and vanilla; remove pan from heat. Pour filling into reserved tart shells.
• Bake tarts on the center rack until the filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer tarts to a wire rack to cool.