Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola)

"The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety and satisfaction. A person cooking is a person giving. Even the simplest food is a gift." (Laurie Colwin). After last year's Christmas dinner, I decided ours needed a change. Considering how much we all love Italian food, our holiday dinner would be, what else, but Italian themed. A significant departure from our traditional fare was either going to be an epic win or epic fail. As it turned out, it may have been one of the best holiday meals ever. From the cheese board filled with an array of Italian meats and cheeses, to the Pate made with Vin Santo, to the Baked Ricotta with Crostini, to the Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells, to the Tortellini in Gorgonzola Cream Sauce, to the Florentine-Style Peas with Guanciale, to the Fennel and Garlic rubbed Pork Tenderloin, to the Honey and Pistachio Panna Cotta, to this Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola), it was a feast for the eyes and senses. And this menu was a slightly scaled back version of what I had initially planned. 

Along with the new Christmas menu came some made for the first time recipes. A potential risk considering I have a family not shy about voicing their opinions about wine and food. As luck would have it, these risks turned out to be ones having great rewards and garnering even greater reviews than anticipated. But there was significant downside to making these new recipes. Trying to photograph them turned out to be the biggest challenge of the day. So forgive me now for these less than picture perfect photos of the Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola). I may come to regret posting these photos, but I am unable to contain my excitement over this torte. So I somewhat reluctantly decided to put my amateur photographer's ego aside because sharing the recipe now rather than later was more important. In all honesty, this torte may be the most decadent, elegant, richest, swoonworthiest, most delicious one I have ever tasted.  

The recipe for the flourless Hazelnut Torte was recently published in Olive Magazine, a British food magazine featuring recipes from around the globe. If you have ever made recipes from European cookbooks and/or food magazines you know the ingredient measurements are in grams and/or milliliters, not in cups or ounces; baking temperatures are in Centigrade not Fahrenheit; and, the sizes of baking pans are ones not typically used here in the states. In spite of all these things, none are insurmountable obstacles. Because sometimes a recipe comes along justifying the purchases of a metric scale and/or an eight inch springform or ring. And this would be the one of them. Everyone should have, no everyone needs this Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola) in their lives. A sliver of this torte will send your palate to places it has never been before. It is one worthy of belonging in the exclusive 'last meal' worthy dessert category. In other words, you haven't lived your BEST life until you have had a piece of this Hazelnut Torte.

While this is essentially considered a flourless torte, roasted and pralinized hazelnuts processed until finely ground give the torte it's texture and incredible flavor. Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur from the Piedmont region of northern Italy, was listed as an optional ingredient in the recipe. I would go so far as to say it's an essential one. The combination of the flavors from the hazelnuts and hazelnut liqueur creates a deeply flavorful torte. However, if there were one option to this recipe it would be serving this truffle like torte with freshly whipped cream or a scoop of a good quality vanilla ice cream rather than serving it plain. Although there is nothing plain about a sliver of this torte.

Relatively simple to make, it makes for the most elegant end to a dinner party, a special birthday celebration, and/or any holiday dinner. 

More than likely this torte, along with all of the other Italian inspired recipes we savored on Christmas Day, could become the 'new' holiday tradition here. Or at least that's what I hope it will become. Because in all honesty, this Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola) couldn't have been a more perfect finish to an epic Christmas dinner. 

Recipe
Hazelnut Torte (torta alla nocciola)  - a very slight adaptation of a recipe from Olive Magazine
Serves 12-14

Ingredients
Torte
7 ounces (250 g) hazelnuts
8 3/4 ounces (250 g) caster sugar, divided
7 ounces (200 g) dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
14 Tablespoons (200 g) unsalted butter
6 large eggs, separated
2 Tablespoons Frangelico
Generous pinch of kosher salt

Ganache
8 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Cocoa powder for dusting the finished torte

Optional: Freshly whipped cream or good quality vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer hazelnuts to a flour sack or heavy paper towel to rub as many of the skins off as possible. Don't worry if you don't get them all off. Let cool.slightly.
2. In a medium sized frying pan, heat 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) of the caster sugar until melted (stirring frequently). Add the toasted hazelnuts and stir to coat the nuts with the caramelized sugar. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until the hazelnuts are completely coated with the sugar. Remove from heat and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool completely. Note: The nuts may initially cluster together but will separate again during the five minute cooking process.
3. When the nuts have cooled, transfer to a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Remove 3 Tablespoons of the coarsely chopped hazelnuts to a small bowl and set aside.
4. Continue processing the remaining hazelnuts until finely ground.
5. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees (F). 
6. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the finely ground hazelnuts. Set aside to cool for approximately 15 minutes.
7. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and remaining 5 1/4 ounces of caster sugar and pinch of kosher salt until pale and doubled in size (approximately 3-5 minutes).
8. Fold in the cooled chocolate and hazelnut mixture. Stir in the Frangelico.
9. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
10. Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate./hazelnut mixture until no streaks of egg whites remain.
11. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased, parchment paper lined 8 inch springform pan and bake for 50-60 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean). Note: I place an 8 inch cake ring inside a 9 inch springform pan using some folded aluminum foil to ensure the ring was stabilized.
12. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the baking pan. then gently remove from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature.

Ganache and assembly
1. Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Warm the heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling (tiny bubbles should appear along the edge of the pan).
3. Pour cream over the chocolate and leave for 5-6 minutes without stirring.
4. Whisk cream and chocolate mixture until slightly thickened and shiny, yet having a pourable consistency.
5. Pour over the cooled torte, spreading evenly over the top and allowing it to drip along the sides of the tore. Note: You might not use all of the ganache. Reserve for another use.
6. Sprinkle the cake the with reserved three tablespoons of hazelnut praline and sifted cocoa powder.
7. Serve in slivers and enjoy! Note: Serve with a side of freshly whipped cream or high quality vanilla ice cream.
8. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, if it lasts that long.