Best Caramel For Three Nut Torte Recipes

NUSS TORTE (GERMAN NUT CAKE)

Steps:

• Separate egg whites into a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff; remove from the mixing bowl and place into another bowl.
• Add egg yolks and sugar to the empty mixing bowl and beat together until thick and pale lemon in color.
• Add egg yolks, bread crumbs, and ground walnuts to the egg whites and gently mix. Fold the ingredients carefully so as not to deflate the eggs.
• Pour the cake batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool upside down for at least an hour until the cake is completely cool.
• Flip the pan upright and slide a thin knife along the pan edges, around the inner tube, and the bottom of the cake pan. Carefully invert the cake onto a plate. If some of the cake stuck to the bottom of the pan, flip the cake onto another plate to reveal the prettier side.

X-TREME CHOCOLATE DOUBLE-NUT CARAMEL LADYFINGER TORTE RECIPE COURTESY SOUTHERN LIVING MAGAZINE

Steps:

• Microwave chocolate morsels on high for 90 seconds or until melted, stirring at 30 second intervals; cool 5 minutes, and set aside.
• Split ladyfingers, and stand halves around edge of a 9-inch springform pan, placing rounded sides against pan; line bottom of pan with remaining halves. Reserve remaining ladyfingers for another use. Spread hazelnut spread evenly over ladyfingers on bottom of pan.
• Cook caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until melted. Stir in pecans until coated; spoon caramel mixture evenly over hazelnut spread.
• Beat 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar and cream cheese in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add crème de cacao; beat until blended. Beat in melted morsels until blended.
• Beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream in a medium bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff; fold into cream cheese mixture, and spoon evenly over caramel layer in pan.
• Shave baking squares with a vegetable peeler evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar. Chill 1 hour before serving.

CHOCOLATE DOUBLE NUT CARAMEL LADYFINGER TORTE (NO BAKE)

Steps:

• Prepare a 9-inch springform baking pan.
• Microwave chocolate chips on HIGH until melted, stirring every 30 seconds; cool 5 minutes and set aside.
• Split the ladyfingers, then stand the halves around the edges of the 9-inch springform pan (placing the rounded sides of ladyfingers against the pan).
• Line the bottom of the pan with the remaining ladyfingers (reserving any remaining ones for other uses).
• Spread the Nutella spread evenly over the ladyfingers on the bottom of the pan.
• Cook the caramels and 1/3 cup whipping cream in a medium heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly JUST until melted; remove from heat and stir in chopped pecans until coated.
• Spoon the caramel/nut mixture evenly over the Nutella spread in the pan.
• In a medium bowl beat 1/3 cup confectioners sugar with softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy about 4 minutes) then add in the Creme de Cacao; beat until blended, then add in the melted chocolate chips.
• Beat the remaining 2 cups whipping cream in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until stiff; fold into the cream cheese mixture, then spoon evenly over the caramel mixture in the pan.
• Shave the baking squares using a veggie peeler evenly on top, then sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar (or to taste).
• Chill for 3 hours before serving.
• Delicious!

CARAMEL NUT TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Between 2 sheets of wax paper roll out dough into a 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer dough to a baking sheet and chill 10 minutes. Lift top sheet of wax paper from dough and gently replace on top (this will facilitate removal of paper later). Flip dough over, discarding wax paper now on top, and carefully invert dough into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Lightly press dough up side of rim, using pieces from overhang to patch any holes. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Line shell with foil, folding over edge to cover pastry entirely, and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell on a baking sheet in middle of oven 35 minutes and carefully remove foil and weights or rice. If bottom of crust still has patches of translucent undercooked dough, return shell to oven without foil and weights or rice and bake until pastry is completely cooked and golden, 3 to 5 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Reduce temperature to 350°F.
• Coarsely chop nuts. In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and honey, stirring, and simmer 1 minute. Stir in nuts and cream. Simmer mixture 1 minute and pour into shell. Bake tart on baking sheet in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until filling is a few shades darker. Cool tart in pan on rack.
• Chop chocolate and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool chocolate slightly and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip (slightly smaller than 1/8 inch). (Alternatively, transfer chocolate to a small heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. Squeeze chocolate into one corner of bag and with scissors cut a tiny slice off corner to form a small hole.) Pipe thin lines of chocolate over tart in a back and forth motion to form stripes. Tart may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Serve caramel tart chilled or at room temperature with ice cream and tuiles.

CARAMELIZED NUT TART

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in processor. Add butter. Using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in vanilla and enough ice water by tablespoonfuls to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll dough out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9 1/2-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming high-standing double-thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork. Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake crust until set but still pale in color, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, about 20 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool. Increase oven temperature to 400°F.
• Make filling:
• Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. Boil without stirring until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk in cream (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel is smooth. Add butter, honey and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Mix in all nuts.
• Pour caramel mixture into crust. Bake until filling bubbles all over, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
• Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over hot water just until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate decoratively over tart. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Serve with cream, if desired.