Sunday, October 06, 2002


torrone, as promised

ok, anna del conte's soft torrone, but made my way. this recipe is the epitome of the italian ability to take various bits of leftover stuff and make something fabulous out of it before you give up and feed it to the dog:

8 oz. (16 tablespoons) plugra
8 oz. (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) superfine sugar
4 oz. (2/3 to 3/4 cup) valrhona cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 oz. plain cookies (marie biscuits, oldish 'nilla wafers, stale savoiardi ladyfingers, or i used some past-their-prime jules destrooper waffle cookies), coarsely crushed
3/4 cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped (hazelnuts or pistachios could be good too)
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons dark rum, armagnac, kahlua, kirsch, whatever
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey vanilla paste

attach the beater to your stand mixer and cream the butter and sugar together at around setting 6 until light and fluffy. turn the mixer down to about 4 add the cocoa gradually. add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well-incorporated, about 2 minutes.

turn the mixer down to about 3 and add the almonds. mix for 1 minute. add the cookies and mix for another minute. add the liqueur of your choice and mix for a final minute. it will have a texture very much like cake icing. don't overbeat or you will crush the nuts and cookies too fine. you want 'em chunky; think rocky road ice cream.

take a loaf pan -- at least 4 cups -- and line it with wax paper. using a spatula, press the torrone mixture into the loaf pan. fill it out nicely, all even, smooth into the corners. pat it down well to avoid any air bubbles. when its all packed nicely into the loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down onto the surface of the torrone. ensure that the plastic really covers the whole thing tightly so no off-flavors or odors sneak in. refrigerate for at least 5 hours until serving; you may even want to freeze it for 30 minutes before slicing.

this should serve 16 in thin slices. the texture of this is interesting -- somewhere between soft fudge and frosting. it's rich alright and really yummy. serve each slice on a plate with an extra dusting of nuts and/or cookie bits with raspberries. the truly decadent will add a tiny touch of whipped cream. it's a grown-up dessert for the kind of people who always had to lick the bowl when grandma made them a cake. . .sophisticated and homey at the same time.

this will keep in the fridge for a day or two. if you haven't finished it by then, you should slice it and freeze it in pieces. since the eggs are absolutely uncooked, either use eggs from a source you really trust or buy those wacky pasteurized eggs.

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