Chocolate Walnut Torte Squares

A brownie recipe, but a step above the average. These Italian inspired chocolate walnut torte squares are light and mousselike rather than dense and fudgy. They make an excellent dinner party dessert, especially served warm. They’re not a super easy bake to make, but they’re well worth any extra effort.

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These challenges just don’t seem to stop! It’s Dom’s turn again with his Random Recipe challenge from the wonderful Belleau Kitchen. Do take a look if you haven’t yet discovered this blog.

My New Cook Book chosen by Lou of Please Do Not Feed The Animals immediately appealed to me. To my delight, the challenge was to pick a recipe at random from the most recent cook book given to you.

Mini Chocolate Book

As usual with this challenge, I only select from my chocolate cook books, which rather limits my choice as I only have eight of them. Well I did only have eight of them not so long ago. This was a perfect opportunity to use a little gem I had been sent in the post a few months ago by a lovely friend along with a beautiful and subsequently much worn necklace she had made for me.

For once, I thought I’d get in early, so no sooner did I read the challenge, than I was hunting down my miniature copy of Chocolate published by Random Press in 1995 and flicking through the gold rimmed pages.

I haven’t included this one before as it’s more a collection of chocolate related quotes than actual recipes interspersed with wonderfully decedent photographs of elegant chocolate creations.

Strangely enough, I got an actual recipe on my first attempt. A recipe for chocolate torte. It was too late to do anything about it at that point as it was pretty much bed time; looking down the list of ingredients I realised I needed rum. Rum?

Chocolate Walnut Torte Squares

This is one of those recipes where eggs do all the leavening work. There’s no need for any additional raising agents. It’s all in the whipping.

Unusually for me, I didn’t tinker with the recipe too much. I used wholemeal flour, with the largest pieces of bran sifted out, rather than plain flour. I also went for a shallower baking tin. The original stated an eight inch (20 cm) square pan. I used a nine inch (23 cm) one.

I’ve seen so many recipes requiring rum recently and have been meaning to purchase some of this sailor’s stalwart ration for some time. Now I had run out of excuses and so I remedied this deficit the very next day.

The torte rose beautifully, but like a soufflé promptly sank soon after leaving the oven. It’s meant to do this though, so please don’t worry if it happens to you.

It smelt wonderful and as an added bonus the scent of chocolate and rum seemed to find its way into every crevice in the house as well as wafting into the garden.

These chocolate walnut torte squares were just right for a hot summer’s day, which it was. They’re not dense like a brownie but light and mousse like. They’re cool in the mouth but also melt on the tongue. The chocolate is rich and strong; the rum is subtle yet lingers pleasantly on the tastebuds for quite a while after the torte has disappeared.

They went extremely well with a good sized dollop of strawberry mascarpone cream. You can find the recipe for this on my strawberry chocolate heart cakes.

Chocolate Walnut Torte Squares: Step-by-Step

These chocolate walnut torte squares are a bit more of a faff to make than your average brownie and you will have a few bowls to wash up. But they’re well worth the effort for a special occasion. Or in our case, a not so special occasion.

Step 1. Melt Chocolate

If using a chocolate bar, break or chop it into pieces and place in a heat proof bowl. Chop the butter into smallish chunks and place that in the bowl too.

Place the bowl over a pan of hot, but not boiling water. Make sure it fits snuggly so no steam escapes.

Allow the chocolate and butter to melt or nearly melt, then remove from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth.

Stir in the rum, then leave to cool a little whilst you get on with the next bit.

Top Tip

As with many chocolatey bakes, use the best chocolate you can afford. Different chocolate will give varied flavour profiles, so it’s good to go with one you like. For this recipe, it’s best to go for one that contains about seventy percent cocoa solids.

Step 2. Blitz Walnuts

Roughly grind the walnuts in a coffee grinder, food processor or blender. It’s quite nice to have a mixture of textures here, so don’t worry if you end up with some nutty chunks.

Step 3. Whisk Egg Whites

Separate the eggs into two large mixing bowls. Place the whites in one and the yolks in another. Using electric beaters or a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

At this point gradually add sixty grams (two ounces) of the sugar as you continue to whisk. Whisk until you have a stiff and glossy meringue. Set aside.

Step 4. Whip Egg Yolks

Add the remaining sugar to the bowl of egg yolks and use the same electric beaters to whip the sugar and yolks together.

Keep going until the mixture is quite pale and has doubled in volume.

Top Tip

Hand held electric beaters are perfect for whisking both the egg whites and yolks. If you whisk the egg whites first, then you can use the same beaters for the egg yolks without having to wash them in between.

I use a Kenwood hand mixer*. It’s powerful, gets a lot of us and has lasted for years.

Step 5. Fold In Chocolate

Now for my favourite part of the whole process. It’s time to fold in the chocolate mixture. I love to see the swirling patterns of dark and light as I do this.

Pour the melted chocolate down the side of the bowl. Then take a large metal spoon and fold the chocolate into the egg mixture trying to knock as little of the air out as possible.

Step 6. Fold in Dry Ingredients

Next fold in the ground walnuts. Again do this carefully and try not to knock out any air.

Sieve in the flour and fold it in as carefully as you can.

Top Tip

As there is so little flour in this recipe, you can use whatever you like. I’ve made it with wholemeal flour and also rye flour. But gluten-free flours are fine to use too. Each one will give a slightly different texture and flavour, but that’s the beauty of making your own.

Step 7. Incorporate Egg Whites

Finally, fold the egg whites into the mixture. Start with a third of the whites, fold it in until no streaks remain. Then fold a further third of the whites in as carefully as you can.

Lastly fold the remaining third in until the mixture is a uniform brown, but still remains light and mousselike.

Step 8. Bake Torte

Scrape the batter into a 23 centimetre (nine inch) square cake tin. I use a silicone mould for this so I don’t need to line it. But if you’re using a tin, line it first with baking paper.

Level the mixture lightly, then place in the middle of the oven and bake for twenty minutes.

The top should be firm to the touch. You want an inserted toothpick or cake tester to come out with a few moist crumbs attached, but not wet batter.

Top Tip

The torte may rise up high like a soufflé, but deflate when it comes out of the oven. Don’t worry, it’s meant to do that.

Step 9. Cut Into Squares

Leave the torte in the tin to cool completely. Turn it out of the tin and onto a chopping board.

Using a sharp knife, cut the torte into sixteen squares.

I quite like the chocolate walnut torte squares plain, but feel free to dust them with cocoa powder or icing sugar if you wish.

Top Tip

To turn the torte out of the tin, I employ two large boards. Cover the tin with one board and flip it over so that the torte comes out onto the board. Then cover what is now the bottom of the torte with the other board and flip it back over so the torte is the right way up.

Other Italian Dessert Recipes You Might Like

• Amaretti (vegan)
• Castagnaccio – chestnut cake (gluten-free)
• Chocolate hazelnut biscotti
• Chocolate hazelnut torte
• Orange cassata cake

Keep in Touch

Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these chocolate walnut torte squares, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.

For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?

If you’d like more walnut recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.

Choclette x

Chocolate Walnut Torte Squares. PIN IT.

Chocolate Walnut Torte Squares – The Recipe

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5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Walnut Torte Squares

These chocolate walnut torte squares are light and mousselike rather than dense and fudgy like a brownie. They make an excellent dinner party dessert, especially served warm. They require a bit more of an effort to prepare than your average brownie, but they're so worth it.

Cook ModeToggle to keep screen awake

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: brownies, cake, chocolate cake, rum, walnuts

Servings: 16 pieces

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Choclette @ Tin and Thyme

Equipment

• electric beaters (affiliate link)

Ingredients

• 6 oz dark chocolate (180g (I used 70%))
• 6 oz unsalted butter (180g)
• 3 tbsp rum
• 3 oz walnuts (90g)
• 4 large eggs (I used duck eggs)
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 6 oz golden caster sugar (180g) divided
• 1 oz flour (30g) – sifted. I use wholemeal flour or rye flour, but any flour, including gluten-free will work.

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling water. Mix until smooth, then remove from the heat.
  6 oz dark chocolate, 6 oz unsalted butter
• Stir in the rum.
  3 tbsp rum
• Blitz the walnuts in a coffee grinder or food processor.
  3 oz walnuts
• Separate the eggs into two bowls.
  4 large eggs
• Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
  ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• Gradually add 2oz (60g) of the sugar and continue to whisk until stiff and glossy.
  6 oz golden caster sugar
• Add the remaining 4oz (120g) sugar to the egg yolks in the other bowl and beat with electric beaters until the mixture is pale and doubled in volume.
• Fold into the chocolate mixture followed by the walnuts and flour.
  1 oz flour
• Lastly folded in the egg whites, one third at a time.
• Scrape into a 9" (23cm) square silicone mould or lined tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
• Leave to cool then cut into 16 squares.

Notes

If you’d rather work in grams, I always use a conversion of 1 oz = 30 grams.

Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 330IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below letting us know how you got on and do share a photo on Instagram. Tag @choclette8 or use hashtag #tinandthyme.

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