Let Them Eat Cake!

I am mad about chocolate and I could eat it at any time of day or night. As long as it is unopened I am safe, but once the packet is ripped or the box is open, look out! Very fitting then that I introduce you to a Chocolate Hazelnut Cake or Torta Cioccolato for a final Italian recipe. (Don't worry we will be back later in the year).

My new year resolution is to keep on with the 5:2 Intermittent Fasting which I started last year. I still have 5 kilos to lose, which is going to be the hardest to shift, especially if I keep making this delicious food. However, 5:2 allows me to fast for 2 days per week and eat normally on the other 5 days. It isn't supposed to include large amounts of chocolate, but the odd piece is fine. 

It has been a fantastically easy way for me to lose 11 kilos already and I have been able to stick to it for a fair time. Here is a  link if you would like to learn more. http://thefastdiet.co.uk/. I wont harp on about it because if you want more information you can check out the link.

So onwards with the 'Torta'. This is elegantly crisp and chocolatey and teems wonderfully with a hot  'espresso macchiato'. I wont tell you how many calories it has because it is very naughty.

Definitely not to be eaten on a fasting day!

Italian Chocolate Torta

Ingredients - Oven temperature 180 fan forced

40g Hazelnuts
100g Butter
110g Dark chocolate, chopped
2 tbls Cocoa powder
3 eggs separated
60g Sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
20g Plain flour
Icing sugar to decorate

• Butter and flour a fluted cake tin with removable bottom. I use a fluted flan dish because the cake is quite flat. 
• Toast the hazelnuts until brown in a dry pan and roughly chop.
• Melt butter in a pan on a low heat, add the chocolate and cocoa and when the chocolate has melted remove from the heat and leave it to cool.
• Beat egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Then, stir in the chocolate mixture.
• Whisk in the flour, nuts and add a pinch of salt.
• Whip egg whites until peaks form and then gently fold into the egg yolk mixture retain as much air as possible.
• Tip the mixture into your prepared pan and bake in the middle of a preheated oven for approx 20 -30 minutes. Don't overcook.
• Cool in the tin and turn out to serve with a dusting of icing sugar.