The first time I read the title for this post I mistakenly thought that the whole torte would be done in 15 minutes. Actually, it's the batter that takes 15 minutes to make, and then the cake needs to bake for about 30 minutes. This cake is really a flourless chocolate torte which substitutes ground amaretti cookies for some of the ground nuts. I think the batter for most chocolate tortes can be made in around 15 minutes, so I'm not positive why this is a "miracle". Still, it's a really good cake, dense and truffle-like.Amaretti cookies are just about my favorite cookies. They are Italian cookies made with egg whites, ground almonds, and sugar. They have a very light, crunchy, meringue-like texture, and they're not overly sweet. Amaretti cookies were traditionally made with apricot kernels, the little seeds inside apricot pits. These kernels can be toxic if eaten in excess, so amaretti cookies are now commonly made with almonds, instead of apricot kernels.
As to be expected, Dave loved this cake and finished it the first day. I thought it was good, but the chocolate flavor almost completely masked the delicate flavor of the amaretti cookies and almonds. The recipe called for a chocolate ganache icing, but I left it off since there was so much chocolate in the cake already. Instead, I served it with a bit of powdered sugar and some whipped cream.
**I was thinking about what I'd change if I made this again, and I have a few ideas. I'd use semi-sweet chocolate instead of bitter-sweet, to take down the chocolate flavor a bit. I'd also add amaretto liqueur or almond extract to the cake. To top the cake, I'd use almond flavored whipped cream (Dorie's suggestion), and I'd crunble a bunch of amaretti cookies over the top. The contrast between the crunchy cookie and the dense chocolate-y torte is lovely, and not something you get with the amaretti cookies that are baked in the cake since they soften up.
If you've not done so already, try some amaretti cookies; they are a little slice of Italian heaven.
Please see the lovely blog, Phe.MOM.enon, for the complete recipe. http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/2009/04/twd-15-minute-magic-chocolate-amaretti.html
Please see the lovely blog, Phe.MOM.enon, for the complete recipe. http://phemomenon.blogspot.com/2009/04/twd-15-minute-magic-chocolate-amaretti.html
I love amaretti cookies and this cake was a good excuse for me to make my own. Glad you enjoyed the cake :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe he ate a whole cake in one day! Wow does he have an appetite.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I wish I'd skipped the ganache too as it made this torte a bit too rich for me.
ReplyDeleteThis looks really good, but I agree there might be too much chocolate. I do love amaretti cookies though. :)
ReplyDeleteAmaretti cookies are so good! I love that the recipe had you use them in the cake. Very clever :).
ReplyDeleteYour torte looks fantastic. I like the way you decorated it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Farah and Tracey!
ReplyDeleteSandy- I didn't know you ate amaretti cookies. I've never seen you have one. As far as cookies go, they are pretty low calorie.
ReplyDeleteSophie- I love the cookies too!
ReplyDeleteKristy-
ReplyDeleteHe does have a huge appetite, but he usually has 18 hour days. Since his last check-up was fine, and he doesn't gain weight, I pretty much let him eat anything he wants and not worry about it. It's good for me because I get to bake a lot!
pinkstripes- Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMost people said it was a rich dense torte. I will have to do this one on a rewind sometime. Yours looks just perfect. Yummy job!
ReplyDeleteTeaLady- Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteLucky lucky Dave.....
ReplyDeleteLucky lucky Dave!
ReplyDeleteHe is a growing boy
Thank you Joy and Chin Chin! Dave is very spoiled when it comes to food.
ReplyDeleteThis torte looks totally amazing. I'm a huge chocolate lover, so this torte looks like a dream come true to me. Truffle-like was a perfect way to describe it!
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty easy to make and it feeds quite a few people, so would be nice for a get together.
ReplyDelete