Flourless Chocolate Torte with Earl Gray & White Chocolate Mousse

By cirql8or

Top Chef: Just Desserts, Season 1, Episode 1

Ingredients

• Flourless Chocolate Torte:
• 12 oz 70% Bittersweet Chocolate
• 4 oz. 52 % Semisweet Chocolate
• 4 oz. Unsalted Butter
• ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
• 5 Eggs
• Earl Gray & White Chocolate Mousse:
• 2 Cups Heavy Cream
• 2 oz. Organic Earl Grey Tea Leaves
• 8 oz. White Chocolate, (chips or cut into pieces)
• 2 ½ teaspoons Gelatin (Powdered)
• ¼ Cup Cold Water
• 2 teaspoons Apple Pectin
• 3 oz. Granulated Sugar
• 4 Egg Whites
• Candied Kumquats:
• 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup Cold Water
• 20 Kumquats sliced into discs and de-seeded

Details

Adapted from bravotv.com

Preparation

Step 1

Flourless Chocolate Torte:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350˚. Spray 8”x12” pan extremely well, and line with parchment paper.
2. Melt butter, set aside. Melt chocolate OVER water bath.
3. Mix eggs and sugar with paddle attachment on mixer until well combined.
4. With mixer running, slowly add melted butter in thin stream to egg mixture.
5. Add melted butter, sir on low just to combine, making sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowl.
6. Pour into pan, smooth with off-set spatula. Bake until top begins to crack about 25 minutes.
Earl Gray & White Chocolate Mousse:
1. Melt white chocolate over water bath, set aside.
2. Heat ½ Cup of the heavy cream with the Earl Grey tea. Let steep 20 minutes. Strain and reserve concentrate.
3. Whip the remaining heavy cream to soft peak, set aside.
4. Bloom gelatin in cold water in small saucepan.
5. Combine pectin and sugar in bowl of mixer. Add egg whites.
6. Whisk mixture over water bath until temperature is 140˚.
7. Whip on mixer to stiff peaks.
8. Warm gelatin to dissolve, quickly stir into melted white chocolate with rubber spatula.
9. Stir 1/3 of meringue into chocolate mixture to temper, then fold in the rest of the meringue.
10. Stir cooled Earl Grey concentrate into whipped cream.
11. Fold whipped cream into mousse base last.
12. Spread mixture onto parchment lined 8”x12” pan, chill until completely firm.
Candied Kumquats:
1. Combine sugar and water in heavy bottomed pan, bring to boil.
2. Add Kumquats, boil 1 minute, let steep for at least1 hour or overnight.
3. Strain, reserve slices on parchment.
4. Save syrup for delicious cocktails!