Lemon and Almond Nougat (Torrone)

I found this recipe in the 40th Anniversary edition of the Gourmet Traveler, and I have adapted it slightly. I have only made it once (for the Alice Springs Show where it one first prize) and it tended to have a horizontal movement over a couple of days. Didn't look so great but tasted fab. So, I have adjusted the temperature of the toffee to 140 degrees.
When I was teaching Adult Literacy in Melbourne in the mid 1990's, my classes would often revert to discussions and writing exercises about food. I had one student who told me his father had adapted an electric drill to beat the nougat (torrone) for his mother as most stand beaters do not have powerful enough motors. I have a lovely red Kitchen Aid and it does the trick and has a gutsy motor. I would not suggest making the nougat with hand beaters unless there are two of you, and they are powerful hand beaters.
Ingredients
350 gm liquid glucose
180 gm local or fragrant honey
440 gm sugar
2 egg whites
vanilla bean paste
50gm butter
400 gm whole almonds (skinned and roasted)
75 gm glace lemons
4 sheets edible rice paper (available at East Side shop for those Alice Springs residents)

Utensils
Stand beater
Baking tray (20cm X 30 cm)

Method
1. Line the base of the baking tray (you will need to oil it first with a mild oil such as rice bran oil), including the sides.
2. Put honey, glucose, sugar and vanilla bean paste in saucepan and cook on medium heat until the temperature reaches 140 degrees. (NB. Original recipe says 120 to 131 degrees, so you may need to experiment). Wipe sugar grains from the sides of the saucepan with a wet pastry brush. Once the toffee reaches the required recipe, place the saucepan immediately in a cold wet basin to stop the toffee temperature from increasing.
3. In the meantime, whisk the egg whites in the beater until light and fluffy.
4. Pour toffee into the egg whites, being careful not to pour it directly on the beaters or the side of the bowl. Continue to beat for 5 minutes until the mixture is glossy.
5. Working quickly, mix through the almonds and glace lemon. It is important that both these ingredients are at room temperature.
6. Pour mixture into rice paper lined baking tray and flatten with wooden spoon to ensure it is even. Lay over another layer of rice paper.
7. Allow to rest for 6-8 hours before cutting. Cut with knife that has been in freezer for about a half hour or electric knife.
Enjoy.

Date, Chocolate and Almond Torte Recipe

Many thanks to Libby Kartzoff, Gary Fry and his sister Jen for this recipe. Apparently the original recipe was from an old Gourmet Traveller by Kay and John Hansen, but a similar recipe can be found in Stephanie Alexander's Cookbook, but I notice the quantities are different and she doesn't use almonds.
In total I made 2.5 times the original recipe of varying size cake tins. I would think this recipe would have been best in my 26 cm spring form cake tin.
Torte Ingredients:
250g almonds, unpeeled
250g dark chocolate (Callebaut or Couverture)
250g dates
6 eggs whites (Free Range)
1/2 cup sugar

Utensils:
Stainless Steel bowls
Electric Mixer
Food processor
Spatula

Method:
1. Chop almonds and chocolate into chunky pieces in the food processor
2. Cut dates finely
3. Beat eggs whites till they hold stiff peaks
4. Gradually add castor sugar
5. Fold in chopped nuts, chocolate and dates
6. Cook 160-180 degrees in lined spring-form pan - 45 minutes
7. Open oven door and allow to cool
8. Put in fridge overnight. Wait until cool/cold to decorate and cut
as can be very crumbly.

Decoration:
Spread with sweetened whipped cream with vanilla (not too sweet). I also made a chocolate ganache by melting chocolate with cream in a double boiler and letting it cool a bit, then dribbling over cake.

I added some pomegranate molasses, rosewater and castor sugar to the berries to give them a bit of extra flavour.

The Birthday Torte - Finale

All done and what a hit.. no iPhone, no camera, so had to use on my old Nokia phone.. hence the quality of the photo.. but the cake was a great.
I ended up cooking three of the Tortes, and two chocolate mousse cakes of varying sizes, thinking I could put them all together.
However, at the last minute I ditched all my presentation ideas and went for a single spectacular 'look' with the three Tortes of varying sizes, fixing them together with whipped cream, covering the whole think with whipped cream, then dripping chocolate ganache (unwhipped) creatively over the entire edifice. Finishing it off with berries, ribbon, some leaves at the bottom and three of my mother's day flowers. (Left the chocolate mousse cakes for extras.)
To serve it though was a bit of challenge.. what I did was take off each cake and place it on a separate plate and cut from there. I would then quickly redecorate the remaining layer so that guests didn't feel like they missed out on the topping.
It looked good and tasted fantastic, and what I discovered is that guests really, really want a piece of the BIRTHDAY CAKE. They don't want a piece of chocolate mousse cake.. or cheese cake, although these were equally delicious and made with as much love ..they just want a piece of the action.. and there was plenty to go around.
Still feeling the warm glow of cooking compliments, although I must acknowledge the generous persons who gave the recipe to me.. Hopefully coming soon!

The Birthday Torte - Stage 2

One cake down, and now my camera is on the blink. Jorge is complaining of the dates... do I make 4 more cakes and place them on a large board in this sort of a design.. And of these 4 cakes, should they all be Date, Chocolate & Walnut Tortes, or do I make 2 different ones.. what is the etiquette of a birthday cake? This is my idea for the presentation of the cakes on a painted board I have.. one cake for each decade?

The Birthday Torte - Stage 1

Well, I now have well over a kilo of local dates.. not the plump ones, the other ones that don't look as good but taste better (Khadrawi dates), a kilo of dark cooking chocolate (Callebaut - see note below), a kilo of almonds, 2 dozen eggs and a few bags of castor sugar. With any luck I should have a couple of Chocolate, Date and Almond Tortes this time tomorrow.


(Note: Callebaut chocolate is apparently the chocolate used by "artisans and chefs".. Check out their website at http://www.barry-callebaut.com/)

Date, Chocolate and Almond (Birthday) Torte

I have agreed to make a cake for 60 people for a 50th birthday.. how exciting and how daunting. And, is it completely fool hardy to use a recipe that I have never used before?
I am thinking a Date, Chocolate and Almond Torte.. of varying sizes.. laid out on a board.. wait and see.