CHOCOLATE KAHLUA PECAN TORTE

Recipe provided by Ruth Scheidler

Serves 8 or more, and great with vanilla ice cream.

Set oven at 375°

Prepare baking pan. Use a 9” cake pan with high sides, or a Springform pan, or round baking pan with removable bottom. Butter sides and bottom, then line with Parchment paper or waxed paper, and butter paper after it’s in the pan.

Ingredients:
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (3 squares)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate (1 square)
2 Tbl. sugar
2 cups pecans (about 7 oz.) best if toasted
½ cup sugar
¼ pound (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 Tbl. Kahlua
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. coffee extract (optional)
Glaze (recipe below)

Directions:
1) Melt chocolates in microwave, stirring after each 30 seconds, until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly:
2) Pulse 2 Tbl. sugar and 2 cups pecans on and off in food processor until nuts are ground, then remove and set aside in mixing bowl.
3) Place ½ cup sugar and 1 stick butter in food processor and pulse until well blended:
4) Add melted chocolate and process until smooth.
5) Add eggs and process until smooth.
6) Add processed batter to nuts and sugar in bowl. Stir until well mixed and pour into prepared pan. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan, about 25 min. Cake will be soft but will firm up as it cools. Cool 20 min. in pan on wire rack, Invert cake onto serving plate, remove pan and paper, and cool completely.
7) Tuck strips of waxed paper or parchment under cake, covering plate edges. Make glaze (below) and pour over cake, smoothing top and sides. If chocolate isn’t glassy smooth, move plate in small circles to help chocolate smooth out. Carefully remove paper strips after glazing, when chocolate starts to thicken.
8) Garnish cake with circle of toasted pecans placed around edge. Will take about 25 – 30 pecans. Glazed torte can be kept at room temperature for a day as needed.

GLAZE
Melt in microwave 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring and checking every 30 seconds:
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (3 squares)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate (1 square)
3 Tbl. butter, sliced