Rosemary

Rosemary chocolate plump torte

Rosemary chocolate plump torte

Red Wine chocolate torte with rosemary poached port plums

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Recipe byCatherine Fulvio

Chocolate, Rosemary, Port and Plums – what more can you say? Celebrate! This is a lovely rich dessert, fabulous visually but most importantly, oh so tasty! The rosemary gives a lovely edge to the plums.
Rosemary chocolate plump torte

Ingredients

  • For rosemary plums:
  • 5 medium sprigs of rosemary
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 400ml water
  • 6 plums, halved and stones removed
  • 4 tbsp. port
  • For the chocolate torte:
  • 200g dark chocolate drops
  • 180g butter
  • 120g golden caster sugar
  • 50g plain flour
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 4 tbsp. red wine
  • 5 eggs
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  • For the ganache :
  • 100g chocolate
  • 100ml double cream
  • 12 small rosemary sprigs, for decorating
  • 4 tbsp. red wine
  • 2 tbsp. caster sugar, to sprinkle on the parchment for rolling
  • Icing sugar, for dusting

Print this recipePreparation

  • To prepare the plums, place the sugar, port and water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, simmer rapidly for 5 minutes. Add the plums to the saucepan with the rosemary and simmer gently for about 4 minutes until just tender but still keep their shape.

  • Remove the plums with a slotted spoon and set aside on a clean plate and simmer the syrup rapidly until it reduces by two thirds. Allow the syrup to cool and return the plums into the syrup.

  • To make the torte, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Brush the sides of a 20cm spring form tin with melted butter and line the base with parchment. Wrap a piece of foil around the outside of the tin and sit it in a deep roasting tin. Place the butter, chocolate and red wine into a bain marie (a ceramic bowl over a saucepan of simmering water).

  • Whisk the eggs in a mixer and add the sugar gradually until tripled in volume. Add the butter chocolate mixture into the egg mix. Then fold in the flour, ground almonds and a pinch of cinnamon into the mix. Pour into the prepared spring form tin and transfer to the preheated oven. Add about a litre of boiling water to the roasting tin.

  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until just set. The torte should have a slight “wobble” to the top. Transfer to a cooling rack, unwrap the foil and leave to cool completely.

  • To make the ganache, add the chocolate, cream and wine into a medium saucepan and heat over a low heat, stirring from time to time. Leave to cool completely. When the torte is cold, slide it onto a cake stand and spread the ganache over the top.

  • Carefully place the poached plum halves on top, drizzle over a little syrup. Arrange sprigs of rosemary around the outside of the torte, dust with a little icing sugar and serve.

Tip: You can keep the rosemary syrup and infuse berries in it for a really yummy topping for ice cream.

Winter Tips to add Rosemary to your recipe

Use rosemary stalk as barbeque sticks to flavour meat.

Rosemary sprigs can be used under a roasting joint of lamb to infuse flavour.

For beautiful tea cookies, fan 3 needles on raw butter or sugar cookie dough slices before baking.

Puree the leaves with olive oil and use as a dipping sauce for bread.

Add 1 tbsp chopped rosemary to 500ml milk and warm it gently until almost boiling. Cover and allow to cool then, strain and use for custards and bread and butter pudding.