dlp@akgua.UUCP (D.L. Philen [Dan]) (03/15/84)
As the original poster of the Chocolate Torta recipe, let
me clear up the confusion. First of all, the coffee should
be LIQUID FRESHLY BREWED. You can also use a freeze dried
coffee provided you make it in the ordinary way as if you
were going to drink it. Think about it! Coffee grounds
are fit only for feeding to worms, and a cup of instant
coffee makes an awful lot of coffee. Can you imagine
the taste if you were to do those things? BLEAH! YUCH!
As an additional note, I have made some changes and I think
improvements in the original recipe. First, I used a regular
dark roast coffee instead of French roast. My first torta was
a little heavy on the French coffee flavor for my taste. This
seems to work much better. Second, I add 2tsp of vanilla extract.
This adds flavor and cuts the taste of so many eggs. Finally,
I added 2 tablespoons of flour. This helps the cake set up
faster. This is a real trick as you can not add flour to
the hot butter chocolate mix. The alternatives are to try to mix
the flour with the eggs, or better save a little coffee aside,
mix the flour with it, and add at the last moment before
placing in the oven. Be sure to mix well with a wisk.
This is a VERY RICH Torta. I have served it to many friends
with much praise and requests for the recipe. My gourmet
group went wild over it. Needless to say, this torta goes
a long way, since only a small slice will suffice. Therefore,
I managed to cut the recipe exactly in half, bake in a 6 X 3
inch spring form pan for 35-40 min at 350, with great
results. This still makes plenty of torta for all.
As with most chocolate dishes, this one gets better with age.
It seems to reach its peak after about two days in the
refrigerator. Be sure to cover it to keep it from drying out.
d. l. philen akgua!dlp