Cooking with Tea

Robert Wemischner is a pastry chef and culinary instructor. He frequently uses tea in recipes.

Milk Chocolate Torte with Assam Tea Ganache

8 oz dark milk chocolate

4 Tablespoons Tippy Assam tea leaves

1/2 cup water

4 oz sweet butter

4 large eggs, separated

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted twice

2 tsp malted milk powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform or regular cake pan with non-flavored aerosolized spray. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

In a double boiler or a stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. In separate small saucepan, bring the tea leaves, water and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and stir to melt the butter, allowing the tea leaves to infuse in the water-butter mixture for about 3 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into the chocolate. Stir to blend. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites into a perfectly clean, fat-free bowl of an electric mixer and the yolks into the chocolate mixture. Beat whites until soft peaks form. Sift flour and malted milk powder together and then fold in egg whites. Fold this flour-malted milk powder mixture gently but thoroughly into the chocolate base. Pour into a prepared cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cake appears firm but not dry. This cake is very moos inside and will fall as it cools. Make the ganache.

Assam Ganache

7 oz heavy cream

2 Tablespoons Tippy Assam tea leaves

7 oz dark milk chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 Tablespoon unsalted sweet butter

In a heavy 1-quart saucepan, bring the cream and tea leaves to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to infuse further for 3 minutes. Pass through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Slowly add the chocolate and gently stir to blend, without aerating. Add the butter and stir until completely melted. Set aside.

Assembly: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place the cake on a cooling rack then place the rack on the cookie sheet. Pour the ganache over the cake using a spatula to spread the ganache evenly as needed. Allow to set. Scrape u any ganache that drips off the cake and pour to cover the cake a second time. Reheat slightly over a pot of simmering water, if necessary, to loosen the mixture. Cool at room temperature. Makes 1 torte that serves 6 to 8.

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