SC - OOP Chocolate/pecan/aprocote cake recipe

[Tollhase1 at aol.com]

Taken from Bon Appetit, November 1985 page 136

Chocolate Apricot Cake

1/3 c    Cognac
1-1/4 c dried apricots (about 6 ounces), cut into 1/4" pieces
1 T       butter 
3 T       dry breadcrumbs
3/4 c     1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 c       sugar
5          eggs, room temp
6oz       semisweet chocolate melted and cooled
1-1/2 t   vanilla
2/3 c    dry breadcrumbs
1-1/2 c coarsley chopped pecans
1 T       all purpose flour

Chocolate Icing

1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 c (1/2) stick unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Apricot Glaze

2 T Cognac
1/2 c apricot Jam

1/2 cup pecan halves

Apricot Roses

Chocolate leaves.

For Cake:  Heat Cognac in medium saucepan until just hot. Remove room heat 
and mix in apricots.  Let soak 15 minutes.  Strain apricots, reserving any 
soaking liquid for glaze.

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.  Butter 8-1/2" springform pan with 1 
tablespoonbutter.  Dust with 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs.  Using Electric 
mixer, Cream butter until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Beat 
in eggs one at a time (mixture may look curdled).  Add chocolate and vanilla. 
 Mix in 2/3 cup breadcrumbs.  Combine pecans and flour and blend into batter. 
 Fold in apricots.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake until tester 
inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  Cool in pan on rack.

Run knife around edge of cake.  Invert onto platter.  Slide sheets of waxed 
paper under the edges of cake.

For Icing:  Stir all the ingredients in top of double boiler over simmering 
water until mixture is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes.  Cool icing for 5 
minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour icing over cake, tilting cake to cover evenly.  Using thin flat spatula, 
spread icing over top and sides of cake.  Refrigerate until icing is firm.

For Glaze: Add enough Cognac to soaking liquid reserved from apricots to 
measure 2 tablespoons.  Combine with jam in heavy small saucepan.  Stir over 
medium-low heat until melted.  Strain through fine sieve into small bowl. 
Cool until tepid, about 5 minutes.

Pour Glaze over top of cake.  Using thin metal spatula, spread evenly (do not 
let any drip down sides).  Arrange pecans around upper edge of cake, ends 
touching.  Discard paper.  Refrigerate cake until glaze is set.  Cake can be 
prepared up to one day ahead.

Arrange apricot Roses in center of torte.  Place large chocolate leaf between 
each flower.  Place smaller leaf between each large leaf.  

This is the basic recipe.  If you need instructions for making Roses or 
chocolate leafs let me know.

Ribs are done, its supper time.

Frederich

============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================