Spiced Chocolate Pear and Hazelnut Torte - The Cook’s Pantry

Currently there are a lot of pears around, so it is a perfect time to make the most of them. I was watching The Cook’s Pantry this weekend when Courtney Roulston made a Spiced Chocolate, Pear and Hazelnut Torte - a perfect way to celebrate pears.
 

This moist torte contains both hazelnut and almond meal. When combined with dark chocolate, cardamom and cinnamon, and topped with sliced pears, you have a nutty, winning dessert.

To make this easy, gluten free dessert, you will need:

120g chopped dark chocolate, melted

2/3 cup olive oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup hazelnut meal

1/2 cup almond meal

3 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom 

2 pears, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease and line a 9” fluted tart pan with a removable base.

In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and the egg yolks with the olive oil, then fold through the melted chocolate.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites through the chocolate mixture.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared tart pan and smooth the top. Arrange the sliced pears on top.

Bake the torte in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the torte from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin before slicing and serving.