Best Genoa Torte Recipes

TORTA DI RICOTTA

Steps:

• Toast 5 tablespoons of pine nuts in a saute pan just until they start to get color, moving them around constantly so they do not burn. Once they are toasted remove from the pan to cool
• In a small pan add the sugar and water, heat over high neat until mixture begins to boil and all the sugar is dissolved
• Add the pine nuts to the sugar syrup and continue to swirl the pan until the mixture turns amber.
• Place the finished mixture onto an oiled cookie sheet to cool and harden.
• Mix the raisins and rum together and allow them to sit until most of the rum has been absorbed
• In the bowl of a food processor- add the flour, brown sugar, gound almonds, and baking powder, pulse 2 or 3 times
• Add the butter pieces and pulse 4 or 5 times until mixture looks like coarse meal
• Mix the egg and vanilla together and pour the mixture into the food processor while it is running (mix just enough to blend)
• If mixture looks too dry add a little ice water
• The dough will look a little loose, that's ok
• Place the dough onto a work table and form it into 2 balls. Use one-third of the dough to make one dough ball and the remainder of the dough for the second. Do not work the dough, even if it does not come completely together, just do your best to form the balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
• Mix the ricotta, orange rind, vanilla, sea salt, sugar, raisins and pine nut brittle together until well blended
• Add the chocolate chips.
• Break the pine nut brittle into small pieces and add to the ricotta mixture.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C)
• Using a 10 inch springform pan, line the inside with aluminum foil, overlapping slightly on the outside. Use two criss crossing pieces, and make sure foil is tight to the sides of the pan.
• Roll the larger of the two dough balls out between two sheets of parchment paper. Making a large circle.
• Carefully place the rolled-out dough into the springform pan. The dough should go half way up the inside of the pan.
• Spoon the ricotta mixture into the prepared pan
• In between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the remaining dough ball, just a little bit larger than your springform pan.
• Place this dough onto of the ricotta mixture, and carefully pinch the dough into dough on the sides of the pan.*Don't worry if it cracks slightly, just try not to leave any holes in the dough.
• Place on the center rack of a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown.
• Allow cheesecake to cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then remove the outer pan and very gently peel back the foil and allow it to continue to cool for an additional 30 minutes.
• Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving to allow it to set up. *There are no eggs in this cake to help bind it, and if you cut it too soon it will run.
• After the cheesecake has set up, remove the bottom of the springform pan and place on serving platter, allow cheesecake to come back to room temperature before serving.

FARINATA: THE GENOA CHICKPEA TART.

Steps:

• Put the chickpea flour in a bowl and add lukewarm water a little at a time stirring with a whisk so that a smooth and lump-free batter is created.
• Let it rest at room temperature covered with transparent film for at least 4 hours (better 8).
• Mix it every 2 hours and remove the foam that eventually forms on top (these are the impurities that release the chickpeas).
• When the batter is ready, preheat the oven to 280°C - 300°C (530-570°F) and put the empty pan inside.
• Add salt to the batter and stir.
• Take the pan from the oven, be careful not to burn, and pour in the oil.
• Then take a wooden spoon, place it at an angle of 45 ° in the center of the pan and pour the batter inside the pan making it run along the spoon (the batter will gently float over the oil and the oil will create a protective film above and under the batter without mixing with it).
• Bake in the lower shelf of the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the farinata will not have a light hazelnut color.
• Then turn off the oven and turn on the grill mode for 5 minutes to create a light brown crust on the surface.
• Remove from the oven, wait a minute, sprinkle with pepper and serve hot.

CLASSIC GENOISE

Steps:

• Place a 1-quart saucepan half filled with water over high heat and bring it to a simmer. Make a double boiler by setting a large mixing bowl over the simmering water. Place the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the mixing bowl and make an egg foam by whisking the mixture to 113 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 7 to 10 minutes. The egg foam passes through various stages becoming foamy, then smooth and finally it thickens. When it is thick, it will be hot to the touch, tripled in volume, and light in color and the sugar will have completely dissolved. If you dip the whisk into the mixture and pull it out, the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon.
• Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and whip the batter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it cools, increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 7 to 10 minutes. Take the time to whip it well; if the mixture is under whipped, the baked genoise will be dense. Very, very carefully, fold in the flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible, making sure to fold to the bottom of the bowl. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate. Fill buttered and parchment paper-lined 8-inch round cake pans 3/4 full with batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until well-risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Let the genoise cool slightly. Unmold, remove parchment paper and finish cooling on a wire rack. The baked genoise can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks if well wrapped in plastic wrap. Return it to room temperature before using it.
• VARIATION: Make this recipe into a Chocolate Genoise by substituting unsweetened cocoa powder for 10 to 20 percent of the weight (a scant 1/4 cup to a full 1/3 cup) of the flour. Weigh the cocoa powder before you sift it.
• Jacques' Tip: Genoise can be made with butter. In this recipe, you can substitute butter (5 1/2 tablespoons) for the 3 large egg yolks. Melt and cool the butter and fold it in after the flour is added.

GENOA TORTE

Steps:

• For dough: Bloom yeast in warm water for 10 mins. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix (or make in food processor.) Knead on floured work surface for 10 mins. Place in oiled bowl, cover, and rise until doubled in size. While dough is rising, make filling. Saute mushrooms with garlic until the liquid from the mushrooms has cooked off. In a separate pan, saute peppers and onions together until liquid evaporates. Make sure artichoke hearts, spinach, and olives are as dry as possible. Preheat oven to 400. Punch down dough and divide into two unequal portions, 3/4 and 1/4. Oil a 10" springform pan and place it on a baking sheet. Roll the larger piece to 16" diameter and place in pan with excess dough hanging over the edge. Being layering in the filling ingredients: salami and pepperoni, then mushroom/garlic, onion/red pepper, ham, spinach and artichoke hearts, then cheese. Continue layering until you run out of ingredients. Then roll out the smaller piece of dough and top. Cut several vents and let rest 20 mins. Brush top with egg and water and bake 50-60 mins. Let rest 2 hours before slicing.

ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Finely grind the almonds in a food processor.
• With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar to a smooth pale cream. Beat in the zests and almond extract. Add the ground almonds and mix very well.
• With clean beaters, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the egg and almond mixture (the mixture is thick, so that you will need to turn it over quite a bit into the egg whites).
• Grease an 11-inch springform pan, preferably nonstick, with butter and dust it with flour. Pour in the cake batter, and bake into a preheated 350°F for 40 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch. Let cool before turning out.
• Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar. Or, if you like, cut a St. James cross out of paper. Place it in the middle of the cake, and dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, then remove the paper.

HOW TO MAKE FARINATA

Steps:

• Combine garbanzo flour and water in a bowl; whisk until batter is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Skim as much foam as possible from top of batter. Whisk salt, rosemary, and 3 tablespoons olive oil into batter.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat and heat until smoking hot. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet and swirl to coat bottom of skillet with oil. Continue to heat until oil shimmers and a wisp of smoke rises from oil.
• Quickly pour batter into hot oil; carefully transfer skillet to preheated oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is browned and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate, cut into wedges, and serve hot. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.

SPINACH-RICE TORTA SQUARES

Steps:

• Position rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 325°; lightly oil a 13x9 inch baking dish; sprinkle with bread crumbs.
• Tilt dish to coat with the crumbs, and tap out the excess.
• Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat; add in the rice and decrease heat to medium.
• Cook, uncovered, until the rice is tender (about 16 minutes); drain well and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add in the onions.
• Stir/saute 6 minutes or until the onions are tender.
• Add in the garlic; stir until it gives off its aroma, about 1 minute.
• Add in the spinach; cook, stirring often, just to evaporate any remaining liquid, about 3 minutes; set mixture aside.
• In a big bowl, whisk the eggs, basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper together; add in the rice, spinach/onion mixture, 1 cup of parmesan cheese, and the cheddar cheese; mix well.
• Spread mixture in the baking dish; sprinkle remaining parmesan on top.
• Bake until the torta feels firm when pressed in the center, about 45 minutes.
• Cool completely in the dish; cut the torta horizontally into 6 equal strips, then vertically into 9 strips to make 54 pieces.
• Arrange on a serving platter; serve at room temperature.