Double Chocolate Raspberry Torte

A dense, fudgy chocolate torte accented with raspberry and an almond crunch! A stunning dessert!

If chocolate is good, double chocolate must be better and triple?? Well, why not? Don’t you love serving something that causes the eater to roll their eyes and exclaim aloud at its deliciousness? At least for chocolate lovers, this is one of those desserts.

I think of the scene in the movie “Chocolat” where the village mayor drunken with the forbidden chocolate in the shop window, rolls about in ecstasy in that landscape of irresistible, sensational sweets. This torte would have been a nice addition to his addiction!

The tartness of the raspberry jewels on top, provide a delightful contrast to the chocolate, needed to bring us back down to earth!

double chocolate raspberry torte

CRUST:

1/4 cup fine almond flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubed pieces

2 ½ to 3 tablespoons ice water

FILLING:

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

pinch of salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup raspberry jam or orange marmalade

TOPPING:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

10 - 12 fresh raspberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

powdered sugar 

FOR CRUST:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix in all-purpose and almond flour with sugar and salt, briefly in food processor. Blend in butter using pulse button until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 ½ tablespoons ice water and mix 15 seconds using pulse button. Pinch small piece of mixture: it if sticks together continue; if dry and crumbly, toss with remaining ½ tablespoon water. Remove pastry from food processor and press together into a ball, then flatten lightly into a disc shape. Wrap dough in clear plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

-Flour pastry lightly all over, then roll out into a 14” circle between two sheets of waxed paper. Peel off top waxed paper and gently flip the pastry over the top of an unbuttered 9-inch fluted quiche or tart pan or pie plate. If you have a tart pan with a removable bottom, this works nicely. Press pastry firmly into the pan at the edges and up the sides. Cut the excess pastry off the rim of the pan, by running a butter knife held flat against the edge around the pastry. Press a design into the top edges with the tines of a fork. Pierce the pastry with a fork on the bottom.

-Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 10 minutes. Remove beans and paper and continue baking crust until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt ¼ cup butter with chocolate in top of double broiler over hot (but not boiling) water. Remove from over water and stir until smooth. Cream remaining ¼ cup butter and sugar in processor until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, vanilla and salt. Blend in chocolate mixture, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of work bowl. Add flour in batches, blending well.

-Spread jam over bottom of cooled crust. Pour in chocolate mixture. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on rack until cooler, about 15 minutes.

- FOR TOPPING: ---Bring cream to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, watching closely so it doesn’t boil over the pot. Remove from heat and add chocolates to the cream and leave without stirring for 15 minutes. Then stir chocolate cream mixture together with wooden spoon or wire whisk until chocolate is completely incorporated into the cream. Add a pinch of salt and let ganache sit at room temperature for about an hour until it thickens to spreading consistency, stirring occasionally. Spread atop torte. Garnish with fresh raspberries and almond slices. Lightly sift a small amount of powdered sugar over torte if desired. Store at room temperature or chill as preferred. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Serves 8

Roll out crust on parchment or waxed paper and place into tart pan.

Cut excess pastry from edge of crust and press edge with fork tines.

Spread raspberry jam on bottom of cooled crust then cover with chocolate batter for first chocolate layer and bake.

Spread chocolate ganache over cooled baked chocolate layer of torte then garnish with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds.

A dense, fudgy chocolate torte accented with raspberry and an almond crunch!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Try various flavor combinations. Orange or apricot jam or marmalade also go nicely with chocolate. A strawberry puree or thick jam would also make a delicious torte.