After the legend attached to Snow Cover Recipe, Scheiterhaufen with Schneehaube which was first taste I shared of Austrian Desserts and Pastries (Skyhorse Publishing, November 1) by Dietmar Fercher and Andrea Karrer, today I turn to the classics with Malakoff Torte which has its origins in Russia or to be more specific the Crimean War.
Malakoff Torte
Yields one cake with 12 slices
Torte Base:
Half the quantity of the basic Biskuit base recipe on p. 181
Biskotten:
5 eggs
2 ½ tbsp (30 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
pinch of salt about
1 2/3 cups (160 g) flour (fine)
powdered sugar for sprinkling
Cream:
4 sheets gelatin
¼ cup (1/16 l) milk
pinch of salt
¼ cup (1/16 l) strong coffee or instant coffee
1 egg yolk
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 ½ cup (350 g) whipping cream
Rum Solution:
just under ¼ cup (50 ml) rum
(38%)
a little over 1/3 cup (50 g) powdered sugar
Decoration:
1 2/3 cup (400 g) whipping cream
a little powdered sugar
2/3 cup (60 g) chocolate pistachios, chopped
Torte Base: Prepare Biskuit dough as described on p. 181. Cut out a disc from the dough (9.5 inches [24 cm] in diameter).
Biskotten: Separate eggs. Stir yolk with 2 tbsp granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt until fluffy. Beat egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites with flour. Fill batter into a pastry bag with a smooth tip (1/3–2/5 inch [8–10
mm] diameter) and pipe about 2 in (5 cm) long Biskotten onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle Biskotten with powdered sugar and bake in preheated oven at 410°F (205°C) for 8–10 minutes until they color slightly and detach from the paper, then remove from oven and allow to cool.
Cream: Soak gelatin in cold water. Bring milk with salt and coffee to a boil. Stir egg yolk with sugar until fluffy. Pour milk coffee into the yolk mixture, stirring constantly, and stir over low heat to a creamy consistency. Squeeze out gelatin well and dissolve in the warm coffee cream. Press cream through a sieve and chill until it begins to gel slightly. Whip cream until creamy; stir 1/3 into the cream mixture. Carefully fold in remaining whipped cream.
Solution: Bring just under ¼ cup (50 ml) of water to a boil with sugar and chill, add rum, and stir.
Place a Biskuit base in a Torte pan (9.5 inches [24 cm] diameter) and spread about 1/3 of the cream on it, layer with Biskotten (curved side down), brush these with the rum mixture, repeat (reserve 12 Biskotten for decorating), brush with rum mixture, and finish with cream.
Important: Work quickly, because the cream thickens rapidly. Cover Torte with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2–3 hours (preferably 1 day).
Decoration: Melt chocolate over steam. Dip the other Biskotten diagonally in the chocolate, put on parchment paper and allow to set in the refrigerator. Beat whipping cream with a little sugar (not too sweet) until stiff. Detach Torte from the edge of the Torte ring with a knife and remove it. Evenly spread ½ the amount of cream over the Torte. Fill the remaining cream into a pastry bag with a serrated tip and pipe rosettes onto the Torte.Top with chocolate Biskotten and serve.
P.S: If you would like to try your hand on this recipe and need the Biskuit base recipe, let us know
(* Recipe from Austrian Desserts and Pastries by Dietmar Fercher and Andrea Karrer-Skyhorse Publishing, November 2011- Photography by Konrad Limbeck- reproduced by permission of the publisher, all rights reserved)