Christmas-spiced chocolate torte with brandy-butter ice cream

Something a bit different for Christmas… a spiced chocolate torte with brandy-butter ice cream. Decadent, rich and satisfying in all the right ways!

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the torte
200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, chopped
4 large eggs
200g caster sugar
50g plain flour
75g chopped toasted hazelnuts, blitzed
1 tsp mixed spice
½ tsp sea salt
Icing sugar, for dusting

For the ice cream
50ml brandy
100g caster sugar
300ml semi skimmed or whole milk
200ml double cream
5g silk gel stabiliser
50g liquid glucose
100g unsalted butter
4 large egg yolks
50g soft brown sugar

For the candied nibs and hazelnuts
45g cocoa nibs
45g chopped toasted hazelnuts
150g caster sugar
Pinch sea salt

Instructions

For the ice cream:

Add the caster sugar, glucose and 100ml water to a small pan and boil until it turns into a golden caramel. Allow it to cool slightly and then whisk in the milk, cream and stabiliser and keep warm on a low heat. Don’t worry if it seizes, just put it back on a low heat and it will all melt together beautifully.

In a small pan over a low heat melt the butter to until it goes brown and smells nutty, strain and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks with the soft brown sugar until they are creamy and have increased in volume. Slowly pour in the caramel cream, give it a good whisk then add it all back into the pan on the hob. Continue to stir over a low heat until thickened and it reaches 83 degrees. Strain into a blender and blend at high speed adding the brown butter and brandy. Chill overnight. Re-blend if necessary the next day and churn in an ice cream machine. 

For the torte:

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees fan.

Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin. Add the butter and chocolate to a bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt gently until smooth. In a stand mixer whisk together the eggs and sugar until they are pale and creamy and increased in volume.

Pour the warm chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs and sugar folding carefully using a large metal spoon. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, hazelnuts, spice mix and sea salt then fold this into the mixture until fully incorporated. Spoon into the tin and bake for 30-35 mins until just set with a slight crust forming. Leave the torte to cool on a rack until it is just warm, release from the tin and dust with icing sugar.

For the candied nuts and nibs:

Make a stock syrup with the sugar and 75g of water, bring to 117 degrees then tip in the cocoa nibs, hazelnuts and salt. Stir continuously until well coated and the sugar crystallises around the nibs and nuts.

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