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Chocolate Melting Moments Torte

Excerpted from The Dessert Architect by Robert Wemischner

Chocolate melting moments torte—flavored with Assam tea, served with malted milk chocolate ice cream, tea infused sauce, Isomalt and tea decor

Yield: 12 servings

The order of things

  1. Make chocolate Assam tea torte
  2. Make the ice cream and freeze until firm
  3. Make the tea infused sauce
  4. Scoop the ice cream, if desired, and place on a parchment lined sheet pan, covered, and return to the freezer until ready to assemble the desserts to order
  5. Make the Isomalt and tea décor and set aside at cool room temperature

Equipment list:
Rectangular baking pan measuring approximately 8 inches by 10 inches by 2 inches deep, in which to bake the torte
Twelve eight-sided cutters (or other similar sized shape of your choice), measuring 2-1/4 inches across by 1-1/2 inches high, as molds for the tortes
Ice cream scoop, measuring approximately 1-3/4 to 2 inches in diameter, to scoop the malted milk chocolate ice cream

 

The teas grown in the Assam region of northeast India often have an almost roasted edge that pairs particularly well with dark chocolate. Their rich aroma and full body in the cup allow them to stand up to the addition of milk or cream and shine through in a buttery cake redolent of chocolate and cocoa. Accentuating the inherently malty character of the tea, malted milk powder made from barley grain, appears in the cake as well as in the milk chocolate ice cream, with its own caramelized dairy personality. Tea appears in three different places in the recipe; first, as a liquid flavoring for the cake; next in the cream-based plating sauce which illustrates that fat is the carrier of flavor to the palate), and finally in the delicate tracery on the clear, thin glassy Isomalt garnish. What beverage should accompany the moments of chocolate intensity? A well-brewed cup of malty Assam tea. 

Note: You may dollop a bit of chocolate ganache on top of the torte before plating it. Use high quality dark couverture chocolate (containing a combination of cocoa butter and cocoa solids equal to 58% total weight). Use equal parts by weight of the chocolate and the cream. Here use 6 ounces of chocolate, chopped and then placed into a heatproof bowl. Heat 6 oz. of heavy cream to just under the boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until melted and perfectly smooth. Set aside until ready to use.

 

Chocolate Assam tea torte

Yield: Approximately 58 ounces, twelve servings, each approximately 4 ounces
Lbs Oz Grams Each Name of ingredient Baker’s percentages
1   480   Bittersweet chocolate couverture, 58% 228
  8 240   Unsalted butter 114
  2 60   Premium whole leaf Indian tea such as Assam 29
  8 240   Water 114
  2 60   Unsweetened good quality cocoa powder 29
  17 510 10 Large eggs, separated 242
  6 180   Granulated sugar 86
  .33 10 2 t. Vanilla extract 5
  7 210   All purpose flour 100
  2 60   Malted milk powder 29
Prepare a rectangular baking pan measuring approximately 8 inches by 10 inches by 2 inches deep. Spray with pan release spray, line with parchment and then spray again. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a stainless steel bowl, set over simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Remove from the water bath and set aside. Brew the tea in the water, steeping for just 3 minutes. Pass through a fine meshed sieve, discarding the tea leaves and reserving the liquid. Place the cocoa powder into a medium sized bowl. Using a whisk, add the brewed tea slowly to the cocoa powder. Then blend the cocoa-tea mixture into the melted chocolate.

Separate the eggs, placing the egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yolks to the chocolate mixture.

Whip the egg whites using the whisk attachment until foamy. With the machine running, add the sugar gradually, beating until stiff but not dry.

Sift the flour and malted milk powder into a medium sized bowl. Gently fold the beaten egg whites and the dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture. Do not deflate the batter. The batter should remain light and airy. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes. The cake should remain somewhat soft and fudgy in the middle. Do not over-bake. Remove from oven and cool on the rack. Using an eight-sided cutter (or other similar sized shape of your choice), measuring 2-1/4 inches across by 1-1/2 inches high, cut the cooled cake into 12 individual portions, cutting in rows of four along the 10 inch side of the rectangle and in rows of three along the 7 inch side.  Cover the cut cakes to keep moist and set aside at room temperature. Make malted milk chocolate ice cream as follows.

Malted milk chocolate ice cream

Yield: approximately 46 ounces, twelve servings, each weighing slightly more than 3-3/4 ounces
  16 480   Whole milk  
  16 480   Heavy cream  
  12 360   41% milk chocolate couverture, chopped  
  2 60   Malted milk powder  
  1 30   Trimoline, glucose or corn syrup  
    1   Salt  
Bring milk and cream to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove about one cup of this milk/cream/chocolate emulsion and whisk it gradually in to the malted milk powder to yield a smooth paste. Gradually add more of the liquid, stirring constantly, to keep the mixture smooth. When all of the liquid has been added, stir in the Trimoline (glucose or corn syrup) and the salt, stirring to dissolve thoroughly. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator, covered, and when cold, pour it in to the bowl of an electric ice cream machine. Process until semi-firm. Remove the mixture to a container, covered, and freeze until firm. Tip: To save time when the desserts are being served, once the ice cream is frozen, using an ice cream scoop, measuring 1-3/4 to 2 inches in diameter, scoop it into well-shaped round balls and place the ice cream balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Return to the freezer, cover the pan well with plastic wrap, and remove from the freezer, as needed, to complete the desserts to order.

Make tea infused sauce as follows: 

Tea-infused plating sauce

Yield: approximately 5 ounces, twelve servings, each less than ½ ounce
  6 180   Heavy cream  
    20   Assam tea leaves—decaffeinated works very well here  
  2 60   Granulated sugar  
  As needed     Heavy cream To mellow the sauce
In a heavy medium sized saucepan, heat the first quantity of cream to the boil. Add the tea leaves and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to infuse, covered, for approximately 2 minutes and sieve, pressing hard on the solids. The liquid should be a slightly golden brown color. Tip: Taste the mixture after a minute to monitor the progress of the infusion. The tea should come through clearly here but should not be aggressively tannic or bitter. Taste and add more cream, as needed, to dilute to arrive at a well balanced mellow tea and dairy flavor.

Isomalt and tea décor

Yield: 12 garnishes
  4 120   Isomalt  
  1, approximately 30   Water  
    5   Assam whole leaf tea leaves  
In a small heavy saucepan, melt the Isomalt with enough water to moisten. Cook without stirring until liquefied. Pour the hot and flowing Isomalt onto a silpat in a thin layer. Sprinkle tea leaves sparingly over the Isomalt, allow to cool and then break into irregular shaped shards to use as a garnish.
Assembly and plating:
Place one cake on the left hand side of each rectangular shaped plate. Spoon the tea sauce onto the plate, beginning behind the cake and moving to the right, toward the front of the plate, in a long curved snake-like shape. Using an ice cream scoop, measuring approximately 1-3/4 to 2 inches in diameter, scoop the ice cream and place the scoop on top of the cake. Then set the Isomalt and tea decor on top of the ice cream. Serve immediately.

 

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Posted 11 Oct 2009 by Surfas Events in Desserts, Recipe

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