For Passover this year, I ended up volunteering to bring dessert to a Seder. I was searching for something delicious that I could adapt to be low carb and could even be considered a ‘healthy’ dessert. I found inspiration from my mentor Dr. Jacob Schor, who writes the most interesting health blogs that are full of good research and good humor alike. Here is my adaptation of Dr. Schor’s Chocolate Almond Torte:
For the cake:
8 ounce chocolate chips (I used Lily’s Dark Chocolate Chips) 8 ounces of butter (I used President french butter) 8 ounces of peeled whole almonds, pulsed in a food processor until finely chopped 8 eggs 1 cup of sugar or sugar alternative (I used Lakanto which does not affect insulin or blood sugar levels)
For the ganache:
½ cup heavy whipping cream (I used organic) 8 ounce chocolate chips (Lily’s again)
To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 375. Chop the almonds in a food processor and set aside. Melt 8 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler and keep it warm while you make the rest of the cake. Cream the butter and the Lakanto in a mixer. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks one at a time. Add one yolk to the mixer with the butter and the Lakanto and put the white into a separate bowl. Continue to add the egg yolks, one at a time, to the mixer, and the whites to the separate bowl. Once the yolks are combined, add the ground almonds, mix together, and then mix in the melted chocolate. Transfer this mixture into large bowl and wash out your mixer bowl. Now it is time for the egg whites! Whip the egg whites in your mixer until they are stiff. Slowly and gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate/almond mix. Pour it all, once combined, into a greased springform pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 50 minutes. Wait until the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and then start on the ganache.
To make the ganache:
Scald the cream in a medium saucepan, just until it starts to bubble. Add in 8 ounces of chocolate chips and stir until melted. Using a flexible spatula, gently push the sides of the cake away from the sides of the springform pan. Open the pan and remove ring of the pan. Put the cake on a few pieces of wax paper and cover the cake with the ganache. Move the cake onto a serving plate and enjoy! This chocolate almond torte is great and gets even better the next day.
