Zesty Chocolate & Pistachio Torte
Serves 8
Ingredients
200g pistachios, de-shelled
200g gluten-free dark chocolate
125g butter
6 eggs, separated
125g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Salt
Vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche, to serve
Preparation
1. In a dry, non-stick pan lightly toast 150g pistachios for 1 minute. Keep the rest aside for later.
2. Leave to cool slightly then blitz in a food processor until they reach a fine powdery consistency.
3. Heat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Grease and line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin.
4. In a saucepan, slowly melt chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally. Once melted and mixed, leave to cool slightly.
5. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar until they become pale and voluminous. Combine the melted chocolate with the yolk mixture and then add the cocoa powder, lemon zest, blended pistachios and a pinch of salt.
7. Gradually, add 1 spoonful of the egg white mixture at a time and fold into the main mixture—do this lightly in order to keep air in the batter.
8. Pour mixture into a cake tin and bake for 35 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin then dust with cocoa powder and top with the remaining pistachios. Serve with vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.
