Easy Chocolate & Amaretto Truffle Torte {Make Ahead for Parties}
This chocolate & amaretto truffle torte is the perfect make ahead party dessert. The recipe is completely foolproof with just four ingredients - chocolate, cream, amaretti biscuits and a splash of brandy or rum.
This truffle torte is inspired by Delia Smiths' which I watched her make on her Christmas show as a kid in the early 90's. I remembered the combination of chocolate, cream and amaretti biscuits and the recipe sort of evolved from that. Delia used liquid glucose in her torte (which famously sold out after the recipe was aired). I find the amaretto biscuits in this recipe provide enough sweetness as well as a nice crunchy texture.
I've made this chocolate & amaretto truffle torte so many times and it's always a hit. It's so rich, and chocolatey that it could just be served by itself but a spoon of crème fraîche or thick cream is a good accompaniment. It's best served at room temperature when it's soft and squishy, but some people enjoy it fridge cold.
Easy Chocolate & Amaretto Truffle Torte
Makes: 12 generous servings
Hands on time: 20 mins + chilling time
Cooking time: 5 mins
Ingredients
400ml of double cream
400g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
Good splash of brandy or rum (optional)
250g bag of amaretti biscuits
Method
Pour the cream into a large saucepan and place over a medium heat until it is very hot, but not quite boiling. Keep an eye on it - it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the hob and stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth. (If you find your cream is not hot enough to melt the chocolate, place it back onto the hob over a very low heat for one minute, while stirring constantly.)
If you're using brandy or rum, add it to the creamy chocolate mixture at this point and stir well to combine.
Place the amaretti biscuits in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin to make crumbs. Tip just over half (around 150g) of the amaretti biscuit crumbs into the creamy chocolate mixture and stir well to distribute evenly.
Remove one quarter of the chocolate truffle mixture (about 240g) from the pan and spread over the bottom of a shallow bowl to help it to cool down. Pop it in the fridge until it's just firm enough to roll into balls. Leave the rest of the mixture in the pan to keep it warm and soft.
Tip the remaining amaretti biscuit crumbs onto a dinner plate. When the truffle mixture in the fridge has cooled sufficiently, split it into 12 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball with clean hands. Roll each truffle ball in the amaretti biscuit crumbs to coat them. Place all the biscuit-coated truffle balls onto a small plate, cover with clingfilm and pop them back in the fridge to firm up.
Line a 20cm cake tin with cling film. Tip the leftover amaretti biscuit crumbs into the bottom of the lined tin. Give it a good tap on the counter to spread the biscuit crumbs out evenly.
Spoon the remaining truffle mixture from the pan evenly over the amaretti biscuit crumbs in the cake tin. Scrape out all the mixture from the pan using a rubber spatula and use the spatula to spread the mixture evenly into the cake tin, pressing it down firmly to avoid any air bubbles forming in the mixture.
Cover the truffle mixture with a layer of clingfilm and pop in the fridge to firm up for a few hours (or overnight).
When the truffle torte is firm, remove from the fridge and peel off the top layer of clingfilm. Place the serving plate or cake stand upside down on top of the truffle torte in the cake tin. Slide one hand underneath the bottom of the cake tin. With the other hand firmly holding the serving dish flip the whole thing over and place the serving plate on the table with the cake tin upside down on top.
Carefully remove the cake tin and peel off the clingfilm to reveal the amaretti biscuit crumb topping. Carefully scrape a fork across the surface of the biscuit crumbs to rough them up and bring them back to life, allowing some to spill over onto the serving dish.
Decorate the top of the truffle torte with the 12 truffle balls. Allow the chocolate & amaretto truffle torte to come to room temperature before serving (leave it out for at least 2-3 hours). It tastes fabulous on it's own, but you could serve it with a spoon of crème fraîche or thick cream if you like.