Ingredients
6 eggs, separated, plus 2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup
4 tbsp bourbon, plus 2 teaspoons
2 1/2 cup pureed unsweetend chestnuts
3/4 cup ground pecans, plus pecan peices f, or garnish
2 tsp instant coffee
6 tbsp chilled buter, cut into small piece, s
1 1/2 oz bitter chocolate, chopped
3/4 lb bittersweet chocolate
3 1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. Make the cake: heat ove to 350.degrees. Grease and flour 2
nine-inch cake pans. Beat 6 egg yolks well. Stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar
and 1 1/2 teaspoons bourbon, then blend in 2 cups chestnut puree.
Stir in ground pecans. Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until
stiff. Fold whites inot batter. Divide mixture between the two cake
pans and bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a cake rack, then remove from
the pans.
2. Make the filling: Beat the 2 egg yolks with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add
instant coffee and 1 T hot water. Beat Chilled butter into mixture,
then add 1/2 teaspoon bourbon and stir in remaining 1/2 cup chestnut
puree. Stir in chopped bitter chocoalte. Cover bowl withplastic wrap
and refirgerate.
3. Melt bittersweet chocoalte with heavy cream over low heat. Stir
in 2 tablespoon bourbon, transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap
and refirgerate.
4. To assembel cake, sperad the chilled chestnut filling atop one
cake layer and cover with the other. Cover the torte with the
chocolate icing and sprinklw with chopped pecan peices. Chill before
serving. MEanwhile, prepare a bourbon chantilly to pass at the table.
Whip the 2 cups of cream to soft peaks, gradually beat in the
confectioners' sugar and then fold in 2 tablespoons of bourbon.
From Chicago Tribune Magazine (cooking section)11-14-93. Featured was
~ Cathy Cary, who with her husband, Will, runs a catering business
(La Peche) and a 94 seat restaurant (Lilly's) in Louisville, KY. This
issue's feature centered around buffet items for holiday parties.
~- posted by Bud Cloyd
Servings: 20 servings
Choclate Chestnut Bourbon Torte W/ A Kentucky Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Dessert; Nut
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to trace the history of transcribed cooking instructions far back into the far past, in fact as far back into recorded history as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and possibly even further. However, mostly, these early cook books were just primitive hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe discovered, according to experts in ancient history are a few ancient tablets in the Sumerian language describing the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making drinkers feel `wonderful`. Much later, in Roman times a roman called Apicius compiled a few documents detailing recipes enjoyed by the Romans. In his publication, he recounts how the meals were divided into hors d`oeuvres, entrees and afters, something we still use today. Aspicius also describes how the chefs of Roman times were skilled in the use of many different aromatic flavors, including some that we all recognise like bay, rue and asafoetida. Continuing our culinary historical journey, there were two recipe books which were published in the fourteenth century - a book published under the title `Forme of Cury`, and another called `Curye on Inglish`. Surprisingly, these books are nothing to do with the curry that is familiar to us all today, but rather recipes for the types of food on the menus of the upper classes of those days. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought us a variety of foods and herbs from the holy lands, including spices like coriander, basil and rosemary. These new foods and spices caused a surge in manuscripts on food, most of which still exist in private libraries. Over the succeeding few hundred years, the rich and powerful families of Europe competed to serve up the most extravagent meals, and consequentially the best chefs and their recipes increased in prestige. Nevertheless, it wasn`t until the 1800s that formal cookery and recipe books really came of age. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Merritt Farmer in the US, devoted much of their lives to collating, trying out, and recording recipes to help cooks of their time. When we get to the twentieth century, cookery publications are highly popular mostly as a result of better eduction, people having increased leisure time and a general increase in wealth. The TV revolution brings us TV cooks and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. Which brings us neatly to the present day and the internet revolution, allowing everyone to access massive numbers of recipes like those on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Choclate Chestnut Bourbon Torte W_ A Kentucky recipe.
