I was going through some old recipes and came across this one on a sheet of yellowing newsprint. It was from a December 1991 New York Times Magazine. The article was titled “True Confections.” The one that caught my eye and which seems perfect for Valentine’s Day is by Dorie Greenspan from her cookbook Sweet Times. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like chocolate, and this one is ready to eat in about an hour. Of course you don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day to serve this little slice of chocolate heaven.
Chocolate Amaretti Torte
Yield: One 8-inch cake
Ingredients 
1 ounce of high quality unsweetened chocolate
3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate (about 64% cacao)
6 large, crisp double amaretti cookies
3/4 cup sliced or julienned blanched almonds
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
Pinch of either Kosher or fine sea salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with waxed paper. Butter that and dust the inside of the pan with flour, tapping out any excess. Alternatively use one of the baking sprays with flour.
- Melt the chocolates over a double boiler set over hot water or in the microwave and set aside.
- Place the amaretti cookies and almonds in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is evenly ground. Set aside.
- Place the butter, sugar, salt and eggs in the food processor bowl and process until the mixture is satiny smooth – about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
- Now add the amaretti/almond powder and the melted chocolate. Pulse to combine well.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven on the center rack for 25 to 30 minutes. The top will look baked and perhaps a little cracked and the center will still be moist.
Cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Then run a thin metal spatula or blunt knife around the edge of the pan and carefully turn out the torte. I place a cutting board over the pan and turn it out onto that. The cake is too soft and moist to turn out onto a cooling rack. The indentations will eat right into the cake. You could also use a large plate but I find that the flat cutting board works best. Then peel off the waxed paper and invert the torte onto a serving dish. I do this by placing the serving dish over the torte and then carefully flipping the serving dish over while holding onto the cutting board. Dust with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa. Serve at room temperature with a little vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
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