Cold Desserts Recipes - Chocolate Date Torte

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites

• 115g/1/2 cup caster sugar

• 200g/7oz plain chocolate

• 175g/6oz Medjool dates, stoned and chopped

• 175g/1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecan nuts, chopped

• 5ml/2 tsp vanilla essence, plus a few extra drops

FOR THE FROSTING

• 200g/scant 1 cup fromage frais

• 200g/scant 1 cup mascarpone

• icing sugar, to taste

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Lightly grease and base-line a 20cm/8in spring form cake tin.

2. To make the frosting, mix together the fromage frais and mascarpone, and a few drops of vanilla essence and icing sugar to taste, then set aside.

3. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff peaks form. Whisk in 30ml/2 tbsp of the caster sugar until the meringue is thick  and glossy, then fold in the remainder.

4. Chop 175g/6oz of the chocolate. Carefully fold into the meringue with the dates, nuts and 5ml/1 tsp of the vanilla essence. Pour into the prepared tin, spread level and bake for about 45 minutes, until risen around the edges.

5. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack. Peel off the lining paper and leave until completely cold. When cool, swirl the frosting over the top of the torte.

6. Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Spoon into a small paper piping bag, snip off the top  and drizzle the chocolate over the torte. Chill in the fridge before serving, cut into wedges.