What a delicious change. It is a real torte, but with pears, hazelnuts and chocolate cream. This is an instant way to become the family’s favourite cook. Try it and wait for the comments! Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
Torte
6ozs, (175gr), or three quarters of a cup of granulated sugar
1 split vanilla pod
16 fl ozs (475 ml ) or 2 cups water
4 ripe pears, halved, peeled and cored
6 egg whites
10ozs (275gr) or 2 and a half cups icing sugar
6 ozs (175gr) or 1 and a quarter cups ground hazelnuts
1 tsp (5ml) of vanilla essence
2 ozs (50gr) plain (semi-sweet) chocolate, melted
Chocolate curls to decorate.
Chocolate cream
16 fl ozs (475ml) or 2 cups whipping cream.
10 ozs (275gr) plain (semi-sweet) chocolate, melted.
4 tablespoons (60ml) hazelnut flavour liqueur.
Method
1 In a large pan big enough to hold the pears in a single layer, combine the sugar, vanilla pod and water. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves
2 Reduce the heat and add the pears
3 Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes until tender
4 Remove from the heat and cool
5 Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C /350 degrees F Gas mark 4
6 Draw a 9 inch (23cm) circle on two sheet of non stick baking paper and place on two baking trays
7 Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks then gradually add the icing sugar. Increase the speed and continue whisking until the mixture is soft and glossy. Gently fold in the vanilla and nuts
Carefully spoon the meringue onto the marked circles
8 Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and cool in the oven
9 Slice the pear halves lengthways
10 Make the chocolate cream. Beat the cream until it form soft peaks, then fold in the melted chocolate and liqueur. Place a third of the chocolate cream into an icing bag, fitted with star nozzle (tip)
11 Spread one layer of meringue with half the remaining chocolate cream and top with half the pears
12 Pipe around the edge forming rosettes
13 Top with the second meringue and the remaining chocolate cream and pear slices. Decorate around the edge
14 Drizzle the melted chocolate over the pears and decorate with the chocolate curls
15 Chill for at least 1 hour before serving
Tags: baking | Cakes | chocolate | cooking | hazelnut | meringue | pears | recipes | torte
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