Should be pretzels-but Brioche Snails instead...

That's right, this post should be about pretzels. Let me explain, a few weeks ago, while looking on the Daring Baker's new site..Mehgan from A Craving of Perfection wanted to know about doing past challenges, wanted to know if anyone had went back and made previous ones, and so, this sounded like something that I would like to do. So, Mehgan decided that we should start from the beginning, meaning the pretzel. Now, I have made them before and they turned out fine, so this should be a breeze...right? Well, they were, until I decided that I should wait until we came back from swimming this afternoon before I should butter them, and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar....wrong! I came home, brushed with melted butter, sprinkled generously with cinnamon sugar and took a bite. Hard as a rock!! So, that is the lesson learned with this...butter and top as soon as they come out of the oven.

Now, on to the brioche snails..all I can say about this is YUM! I had left over brioche from the sticky buns and did not want to waste it, so I remembered the brioche raisin snails. I don't really care for raisins, so I substituted them for mini chocolate chips! What you do is, roll out the brioche, spread a layer of pastry cream and top with raisins, or in my case the chocolate chips. Bake them off, top with a glaze and there you go. Delicious! My son ate 3 of them at one time!!

TWD-Pecan Honey Sticky Buns

This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by Madam Chow of Madam Chow's Kitchen. I was really nervous when this was chosen, because I have never made brioche dough before. Honestly, I have never eaten brioche bread before, so this was a first for me all the way around. Back in March Peabody had chose Brioche Raisin Snails as her recipe for the week, and I wasn't able to participate that week, so I was excited and nervous at the same time, about this week. Let me just say that I am no longer afraid of brioche! I can't wait to make it again and again. It is not hard at all to mix together...other than the fact that you really have to watch your KA mixer, or it might just jump off of the counter! A few "slaps" to deflate the dough and watch it rise again, and again, this made me smile and giggle every time I went to deflate it and it had risen again. A chill overnight and there you go. Now, I waited 2 nights, and the brioche was really stiff when I took it out of the fridge to roll it out, but a few minutes out on the counter and it was ready to be rolled out. Once rolled out, spread on the filling, roll, cut and put in the baking dish to rise a final time for about 1 1/2 hours and bake for 30 minutes. The rolls came out light and fluffy, and sweet! Very sweet and sticky, of course.

Pecan Honey Sticky Buns
Makes 15 buns
For the Glaze:
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup honey

1-1/2 cups pecans (whole or pieces)

For the Filling:
1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Buns:
1/2 recipe dough for Golden Brioche loaves (see below), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating it overnight)

Generously butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan (a Pyrex pan is perfect for this).

To make the glaze: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter, and honey to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Pour the glaze into the buttered pan, evening it out as best you can by tilting the pan or spreading the glaze with a heatproof spatula. Sprinkle over the pecans.

To make the filling: Mix the sugars and cinnamon together in a bowl. If necessary, in another bowl, work the butter with a spatula until it is soft, smooth and spreadable.

To shape the buns: On a flour-dusted work surface, roll the chilled dough into a 16-inch square. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Starting with the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it for up to 2 months . . . . Or, if you want to make just part of the recipe now, you can use as much of the dough as you'd like and freeze the remainder. Reduce the glaze recipe accordingly).
With a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends of the roll if they're very ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into 1-inch thick buns. (Because you trim the ragged ends of the dough, and you may have lost a little length in the rolling, you will get 15 buns, not 16.) Fit the buns into the pan cut side down, leaving some space between them.
Lightly cover the pan with a piece of wax paper and set the pan in a warm place until the buns have doubled in volume, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The buns are properly risen when they are puffy, soft, doubled and, in all likelihood, touching one another.
Getting ready to bake: When the buns have almost fully risen , center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the sheet of wax paper and put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Bake the sticky buns for about 30 minutes, or until they are puffed and gorgeously golden; the glaze will be bubbling away merrily. Pull the pan from the oven.
The sticky buns must be unmolded minutes after they come out of the oven. If you do not have a rimmed platter large enough to hold them, use a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or buttered foil. Be careful - the glaze is super-hot and super-sticky.

What You'll Need for the Golden Brioche Dough (this recipe makes enough for two brioche loaves. If you divide the dough in half, you would use half for the sticky buns, and you can freeze the other half for a later date, or make a brioche loaf out of it!):

2 packets active dry yeast (each packet of yeast contains approx. 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch water

1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature but still slightly firm

What You'll Need for the Glaze (you would brush this on brioche loaves, but not on the sticky buns):
1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

To Make The Brioche: Put the yeast, water and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt, and fit into the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Toss a kitchen towel over the mixer, covering the bowl as completely as you can-- this will help keep you, the counter and your kitchen floor from being showered in flour. Turn the mixer on and off a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour (yes, you can peek to see how you're doing), then remove the towel, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and mix for a minute or two, just until the flour is moistened. At this point, you'll have a fairly dry, shaggy mess.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, set the mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in 2-tablespoon-size chunks, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. You'll have a dough that is very soft, almost like batter. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl (or wash out the mixer bowl and use it), cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes, depending upon the warmth of your room.

Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap to the bowl. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours, then leave the uncovered dough in the refrigerator to chill overnight. (After this, you can proceed with the recipe to make the brioche loaves, or make the sticky buns instead, or freeze all or part of the dough for later use.)
The next day, butter and flour two 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch pans.

Pull the dough from the fridge and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cut each piece of the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a log about 3 1/2 inches long. Arrange 4 logs crosswise in the bottom of each pan. Put the pans on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, cover the pans lightly with wax paper and leave the loaves at room temperature until the dough almost fills the pans, 1 to 2 hours. (Again, rising time with depend on how warm the room is.)
Getting Ready To Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To Make the Glaze: Beat the egg with the water. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the loaves with the glaze.

Bake the loaves until they are well risen and deeply golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pans and turn the loaves out onto the racks. Invert again and cool for at least 1 hour.

Blueberry Drop Cookies-for the Cookie Carnival!

Kate at The Clean Plate Club hosts a monthly round up known as the Cookie Carnival. Each month she chooses a cookie recipe and we post about it by the end of the month. Enough said. My hubby and kiddos, as well as myself, love a batch of homemade cookies. So, I was in. This month Kate chose these blueberry drop cookies, and what a great choice! They were simple to throw together, just a few ingredients, let chill for at least 4 hours, and bake for 12-15 minutes. The only change that I made was using vanilla instead of almond extract. Only because I was out of the almond and really didn't want to make the extra trip to the store. The cookies turned out perfect! Soft and chewy. Tart from the blueberries with a hint of lemon from the zest and sweet. My husband loved them, heck, I loved them! These will definitely be made again and again!

BLUEBERRY DROP COOKIES

Ingredients:
* One-half cup shortening
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 egg
* One-fourth cup milk
* One-half teaspoon almond extract
* One and one-half teaspoons grated lemon zest
* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* One-half teaspoon salt
* 1 cup blueberries, rinsed and picked over

Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, egg, milk, almond extract and lemon zest, mixing well after the addition of each ingredient. Slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the blueberries and mix until well blended.

2. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls, one and one-half inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing them with a spatula.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Cocoa Orange Cupcakes

This months Cupcake Hero ingredient is cocoa. Great choice, but Laurie dear, you are going to be covered in it by the end of this month! :) I really like the combination of orange and chocolate, so when I came across this recipe, I knew that this would be my cupcake entry this month. I can't wait to see the round up!

Cocoa Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting

For the cupcakes:
1/2 Cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking powder
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp buttermilk
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp orange extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together cocoa and boiling water until smooth; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar, salt and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs, mix well. Stir together Baking soda and buttermilk; add to butter mixture alternately with the flour. Stir in orange zest, orange extract and cocoa mixture. Divide evenly into cupcake lined pan and bake 12-15 minutes, or until done. (I got 2 dozen cupcakes.)

For the Frosting:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
juice of 1 orange
4-6 Tbsp milk

In large mixing bowl, beat butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and vanilla until creamy. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency.

TWD-Traditional Madeleines

This weeks recipe was chosen by Tara of Smells like Home. I love it when Monday rolls around each week and the weekly Dorie recipe has been chosen. It is like a weekly surprise! I had never made madeleines before this week, although, I had always wanted too. I just hadn't taken the time. I had the pan, one to make minis, but it has just been sitting in my cabinet all by itself, never been used. But now, it will definitely be put to use often!

With just a few ingredients, a chill time of at least 3 hours, bake for a few minutes, and you have a wonderful cake like cookie with a hint of lemon. Yum!

Just like all other weeks, go and check out the TWD chicks as we still continue to grow each week! Next week's recipe is from Madam Chow's Kitchen and she has chosen Pecan Honey Sticky Buns! I can't wait to try them out!

Traditional Madeleines

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick, and light, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the better form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines.

(For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the Madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pan.)

Getting ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan, give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake large Madeleines for 11-13 minutes, and minis for 8-10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the mods by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(Es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pans before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioner's sugar.

When a Berry Tart turns into a Parfait....

...you have a very pretty individual dessert! For Mother's Day, we had my in-laws over for dinner. I had originally planned on making Dorie's Quick Classic Berry Tart. It sounded light and fresh and not heavy after a big meal. Perfect, right? Well, it was until the crust broke. I admit, it was totally my fault. I unmolded the crust from the tart pan and put in onto a cake stand that was too small and had a dip in the middle, so when I filled with it with the pastry cream, the middle sank. So, that was OK...I could get by with that, until I went to push it from this small stand to a little bigger one, that it broke into about 15 different pieces. I had my meltdown for about 10 minutes, and then the pastry angels whispered into my ear...hey, make parfaits! Hallelujah....it is not ruined after all! We will have dessert!!

Now, TWD chicks have made the pastry cream before with the brioche snails. I wasn't able to make it then, so I was eager to make it for this, and it did not disappoint. I would eat it by itself. This pastry cream is simple to put together, and not time consuming. I would definitely recommend it if you need something quick to put into a pie shell!

For the pastry cream:
2 Cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits at room temperature

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.

Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch until thick and well blended. Still whisking, drizzle in a bout 1/4 cup of the hot milk-this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (making sure to get into the edges of the pot), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1-2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.

Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the bits of butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape the cream into a bowl. You can press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the pastry cream until cold.

Sweet Tart Dough
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ tsp salt1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 T) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in- you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal fakes and others the size of peas. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses- about 10 seconds each- until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change- heads up. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate and dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

To press the dough into the pan: butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Don’t be too heavy handed- press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferable longer, before baking.
To partially or fully bake the crust: center a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, against the crust. (since you froze it, you can bake it without weights). Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, carefully press it down with the back of a spoon. For partially baked crust, patch the crust if necessary, then transfer the crust to a cooling rack. To fully bake the crust, bake for another 8 minutes or so, or until it is firm and golden brown. Transfer pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling.

**1/3 cup red currant jelly mixed with 1 tsp water, for glazing.

To assemble:
Smooth the pastry cream by giving it a couple of strong turns with a whisk. Spoon enough of the pastry cream into the tart crust to come almost to the rim, then even the surface with a rubber spatula. Carefully lay the berries on the cream, arranging them in any pattern that pleases you. If you are using strawberries, either halve them from top to bottom or slice them, depending on the size of the berries and your whim.

Bring the jelly and the water to a boil in a microwave oven or on the stove top. Working with a pastry brush or pastry feather, dab each berry with a spot of jelly. Or, if you like, you can glaze the entire surface of the tart, including the bit of pastry cream that peeks through the berries.

Or, to make the parfaits, just crumble a little bit of crust in the bottom of whatever you are using, spoon in some of the pastry cream, top with berries. Then, just drizzle over the jelly. I would recommend not skipping the red currant jelly. It gives it just a little tartness to help with the sweetness of the cream and berries!

TWD-Florida Pie

This weeks recipe was chosen by Dianne of Dianne's Dishes. If you are looking for a quick and easy treat, this would be the one to choose! You have a graham cracker crust, with a layer of coconut cream and then topped with your key lime curd. I chose not to top with the meringue, I am not a huge meringue girl.

Next week we are doing madelines chosen by Tara of Smells Like Home. Check out the TWD chicks to see their creations of Florida Pie!

9-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

4 large eggs, separated

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)

1/4 cup of sugar

Getting Ready:Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.

TWD-Peanut Butter Torte

Updated below:I have made this, but it is still sitting in my fridge. The ganache has not been made yet...but will made when I get home from work in a couple of hours. Until then........

:)


This week, Elizabeth with Ugg Smell Food chose the recipe for the week. This was one of the many recipes that I wanted to put to the top of the list to make out of "the book." The crust was simple to put together, as well as the peanut butter mousse filling.

I have to say that I wasn't crazy about it. But, when I really think about it, I had cut myself a big, huge piece and it is really rich....I probably would love it as a mini.

Next weeks recipe comes from Di at Dianne's dishes, and she has chosen Florida pie! I haven't even looked at the recipe yet, but I am guessing that it involves key limes? We shall see!! Don't forget the TWD chicks!


Peanut Butter Torte

1 ¼ c. finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ c. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2 ½ c. heavy cream
1 ¼ c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ c salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy)
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Getting ready: center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Spring form pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.
Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Crape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.
Scrape the mouse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte: put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and , working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.

When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Spring form pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.