Mexican Mocha Walnuts Recipes

WALNUT MOCHA TORTE

Steps:

• Separate the eggs: Separate the eggs, into yolks and whites (see How to Separate Eggs ). Take care to make sure there are no pieces of shell or egg yolk in the whites, and that the bowl you are using to contain them is completely clean with no residue of fat. Any fat from yolks or oil will make it difficult to beat the egg whites.
• Prepare cake pans: Prepare two 9-inch cake pans. Line the pans with parchment paper or wax paper. Lightly butter the sides of the pans (not the paper).
• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
• Mix ground walnuts and breadcrumbs: Mix together the ground walnuts and the bread crumbs in a small bowl and set aside.

DORIE GREENSPAN'S MOCHA WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350°F (180°C).
• Coat a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with butter or baking spray. Line the bottom with parchment and butter or spray the parchment, then dust the pan with cocoa powder. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
• In a food processor, combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the sugar, the chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon and pulse, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl often and taking care that you don't process for so long that the walnuts become a paste and the chocolate melts. You want to end up with a bread-crumb-like mixture-it's better to have some discernible morsels than to overdo it.
• Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer.
• Working with a whisk, beat the yolks until they're homogeneous. Gradually whisk in 3/4 cup (150 g) of the sugar and then beat until the mixture is pale and your whisk leaves tracks, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the vanilla. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the walnut mixture.
• Add the salt to the whites. Attach the bowl to the mixer stand, if using, and fit it with the whisk attachment. Beat the whites until they are foamy, opaque and just a bit thick, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, adding it a tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is in, the whites should be thick and glossy-lift the beater(s), and the meringue should hold a pretty peak. If it doesn't, continue to beat for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Using a flexible spatula, scoop out about a quarter of the meringue and add it to the bowl with the egg yolk mixture. Stir everything together energetically so that the whites lighten the thick mixture.
• Scrape the rest of the meringue into the bowl and, being gentle, stir and fold it in. (Without overdoing it, you want to get as much of the meringue into the nut mixture as quickly as possible. If there are a few white streaks, it's fine (better to have streaks than to knock all the air out of the meringue.) Scrape the batter into the pan, swiveling the pan from side to side to settle the batter evenly.
• Bake until the cake feels firm to the touch and has risen and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (The rise might be higher around the edges, but the middle should lift too.)
• Move the pan to a rack and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to release the cake. Remove the sides of the springform and allow the cake to cool to room temperature on the rack.
• Rinse a small saucepan with cold water, but don't dry it (this helps prevent the cream from scorching). Pour in the cream, set the pan over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and then, working with a small flexible spatula and beginning in the center of the pan, start stirring the chocolate and cream together. Stir in ever-widening concentric circles until you have a thick, shiny, smooth mixture. Piece by piece, blend in the butter until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• When the cake is cool, invert it, remove the base of the pan and the parchment and turn the cake right side up onto the rack.
• If you want to glaze the cake, now's the time. Put a piece of foil or other drip catcher under the rack, pour the ganache over the cake and use an offset spatula or knife to smooth it over the top. (Alternatively, you can drizzle the ganache over the cake. And if you're using toasted walnuts, sprinkle them over the glaze while it's still warm.)
• Refrigerate the cake until chilled, wrapping it well once it's cold. The cake is good at room temperature, but I prefer it straight from the fridge. It also cuts better when it's cold.
• Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche or, if you prefer, dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Or don't-it's fine just the way it is.

FLUFFY COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly butter three 8"-diameter cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Toast 2 cups (250 g) raw walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Let cool. Set aside 1 cup walnuts for serving.
• Meanwhile, cook ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or refined coconut oil, melted. Set brown butter mixture aside.
• Pulse remaining 1 cup toasted walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground (it should be the texture of panko). Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2¼ tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. baking soda.
• Process 4 large eggs, 1¼ cups (250 g) sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1 tsp. instant espresso powder in food processor (no need to clean bowl) until mixture is lightened in color and thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir 2 Tbsp. whole milk into reserved brown butter mixture. With motor running, gradually stream brown butter mixture into egg mixture and process until combined. Add dry ingredients and process just until a smooth batter forms. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans front to back after 15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to pull away from the sides of pans and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks and let cakes cool 15 minutes. Run a small knife around edges of each cake to release from pan if needed. Turn out cakes onto racks and remove parchment paper; discard. Turn cakes right side up and let cool completely.
• Combine 8 large egg whites, 2¼ cups (450 g) sugar, ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set over a medium saucepan filled with 1½" of simmering water (bowl should not touch water). Heat, stirring and scraping often with a heatproof rubber spatula, until sugar is dissolved and an instant-read thermometer registers 185°, 10-15 minutes.
• Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until meringue is shiny and stiff, 8-10 minutes. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
• With mixer on medium speed, add 3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces, a piece at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding more. Once all the butter has been added, increase speed to high and beat 1 minute. Transfer buttercream in bowl to refrigerator and chill 30 minutes.
• Fit bowl with buttercream back onto stand mixer and add ¼ cup (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if needed, and 2 tsp. instant espresso powder. Beat on medium-low speed, scraping down sides as needed, until combined.
• Using a large serrated knife and long sawing strokes, remove tops of cakes to level if needed. Place a cake layer, right side up, on a cake stand or large plate. Using an offset spatula, spread ¼ cup buttercream over cake, working all the way to the edges. Place second cake layer, right side up, on top; spread another ¼ cup buttercream over cake, working all the way to the edges. Place third cake layer, cut side down, on top, and press lightly to adhere. Spread top and sides of cake with ½ cup buttercream in a thin, even layer. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. (If chilling cake longer than 1 hour, cover remaining buttercream in bowl and chill. Bring to room temperature and beat again before using.)

MOCHA-WALNUT MACARONS

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 275°. Place confectioners' sugar, walnuts, cocoa and coffee in a food processor; process until finely ground and set aside., Add salt to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks. Gradually add superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Continue beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Carefully fold in walnut mixture until blended., Pipe or drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 1 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Air dry for 30 minutes before baking. Bake 18-20 minutes. Remove macaroons from baking sheet to a wire rack; cool completely. Remove from parchment; store in an airtight container.

MOCHA WALNUT PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In medium saucepan, melt chocolate and butter or margarine over low heat. Dissolve coffee in 1/4 cup hot water, then stir it into saucepan with sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour filling into pastry shell. Top with walnuts.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set. Cool.

MOCHA WALNUT COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Place the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat together thoroughly until light and fluffy. Place the vanilla extract, coffee, and egg in a separate bowl and whisk together.
• 2. Gradually add the coffee mixture to the butter and sugar, beating until fluffy. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into the cookie batter and fold in carefully. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
• 3. Place teaspoonfuls for the cookie batter onto 2 greased cookie sheets, allowing room for the cookies to spread. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp on the outside but still soft inside. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

MOCHA WALNUT BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl of mixer, thoroughly beat the butter, sugar, coffee and cocoa.
• At low speed, gradually add the flour.
• With a spoon, work in chopped walnuts.
• Shape into balls, using about 1/2 Tbsp each.
• Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350° for about 8 minutes.
• Cool.
• Meanwhile, mix milk, 1/4 tsp instant coffee, butter and confectioners' sugar to make icing.
• Place small amount of icing atop each mocha cookie.
• Top with a piece of walnut, if desired.

MOCHA NUT BUTTER BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Stir together the flour, cocoa, coffee crystals and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in the dry ingredients just until blended. Stir in the pecans. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets and roll in confectioners' sugar while still warm. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature.