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Monday 3 June 2013

Let Her Eat Cake: 'Counterfeit' Chocolate Torte

Gluten-free, dairy free chocolate torte
Alright, by 'counterfeit' I don't mean any funny business happening with the chocolate. There is chocolate in this torte... and some biscuits and a smattering of coconut. But there isn't - you might be surprised to note - anything that contains gluten or dairy or egg.

Instead there's avocado. Those readers edging slowly away from their screens, please come back. The avocado acts in the place of cream or cream cheese to create a smooth, rich chocolately filling.

Bleurgh, I hate avocado, you're thinking. You won't even know it's there. Like a master thief, it will disappear into that fudgey, dark chocolate topping, and no-one need be any the wiser, unless you tell them. This would make an ideal dinner party dessert; crowd-pleasing and suitable for people with varied diets. Did I mention you only need four ingredients?

I used gluten and wheat-free digestive biscuits for the base of mine (these are usually available in most larger supermarkets), but if you want to go for a full-slut-chocolate-fest you could use Caleigh's gluten-free bourbon biscuits and dispense with the coconut. Scrumptious.

'Counterfeit' Chocolate Torte
You will need:
For the base
  • 200g gluten-free digestive biscuits
  • 100g creamed coconut (this is just 100% coconut in a block: look in the world food aisle, it comes in little cardboard packets).
For the torte
  • 2 large ripe avocados 
  • 250g dark chocolate (check the back to see whether it is dairy free)
  • Cocoa powder, to decorate 
Make it!
The base:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. 
  2. Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs, either using a blender (fast) a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin (less fast) or crushing in a bowl with a wooden spoon (slow but good for releasing aggression). Tip into a large bowl. 
  3. Measure out the creamed coconut from the block and then grate or finely chop it into a separate bowl. Add several splashes of hot water and mix well until is has formed a fluid paste and no lumps remain. 
  4. Spoon into the biscuit crumbs and stir well to combine. 
  5. Tip into a 20cm round tin with a removable base and push into an even layer, making sure the sides are well covered and pushed down. 
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the side until ready to use. 
The torte:
  1. Halve the avocados and scoop the flesh out into a large bowl. 
  2. Cream with a hand-blender or mash with a fork until the avocado has formed a smooth paste. (If your avocados aren't quite ripe enough, or you're worried about lumps, push the avocado paste through a mesh sieve so that it is completely smooth). 
  3. Break up the chocolate and melt in a bain-marie (a glass bowl set above a pan of boiling water) or in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between. 
  4. Pour into the avocado and beat well until fully combined. 
  5. Tip onto the biscuit base, pushing to the edges and smoothing over the top. 
  6. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. 
  7. Before serving, remove from the tin and dust with a layer of cocoa powder.

4 comments:

  1. Amazing idea! I am tempted to try, despite being a dairy lover! does the chocolate part come out quite bitter or does the avocado somehow sweeten it a bit? (pear = fruit, right, or is my logic flawed...?)

    Also, I just read it in my head as "5. Tip into a 200cm round tin". I do have trouble with numbers sometimes, I can see it says 20, but my brain clearly wants a 2m diameter torte. can't argue with that!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jude a 2m wide torte would be amazing! I'd just lie in the middle and eat my way to the outside...

    Surprisingly, is doesn't need any extra sweetening. It's definitely a dark chocolate dessert, rich and not-to-sweet, and if there's any trace of the avocado, it's almost as a very mild banana hint, which goes very well with 'fruitier' dark chocolates.

    If you like things a little sweeter, you could always add in a tablespoon of honey (or, if you're not trying to avoid refined sugars, a tablespoon or two of icing sugar).

    ReplyDelete
  3. If it helps folks fall over the edge to try - I just tackled the chocolate avocado mousse recipe that seems to have infected the internet about a year ago finally (and I loath, hate, despise and generally request it to 'get thee behind me green devil' when I come across it- hey it works to revoke Satan, it's gotta be enough for a disgusting bit of produce, right?) and to my absolute shock... damned it didn't taste like the darkest richest chocolate mousse I've ever had. So... looks like I'm on a grocery run because this looks tasty. Hope folks try it, it really is a mind frell how good and how much it DOESN'T taste of avocados!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jenna, a mousse sounds lovely! It's honestly so easy with avocados as well. Maybe we just don't tell the avocado haters until they're on seconds...

    ReplyDelete

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