Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Torte with Ganache and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Crumbles

My mission was to create a Passover-friendly dessert that was also dairy-free. You would never know this rich, dark, fudgy chocolate torte is both gluten-free (flourless and without any leavening agents, so appropriate for Passover) and dairy-free... but it is.According to my taste testers, it was a hit (and I will say I liked it myself too!). The inside is kind of like a ridiculously chocolatey, dense brownie. It's definitely a recipe I'll go back to again and again for different occasions... or for no occasion at all... and it's very versatile in terms of what you can embellish it with on top (or even in the middle, though I didn't do that this time) or how you serve it. Here's what I did this time around:Flourless Chocolate Torte with Ganache and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter CrumblesWhat You Need:

• 12 oz bittersweet chocolate (dairy-free - just check that the ingredient list doesn't include any milk products) - you can also sub in some dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate

• 1 c Earth Balance butter substitute, with 1 tbsp separated

• 3 tbsp coconut oil (virgin, unrefined), separated

• 1 c turbinado sugar

• 1/4 white sugar

• 1 c unsweetened cocoa powder (dairy-free - just check that the ingredient list doesn't include any milk products)

• 6 large eggs

• 1 tbsp coconut milk (either from a carton or can - if from a can, make sure to shake/stir contents thoroughly first)

• 1 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp vanilla (separated)

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven (middle rack) to 375 F.

2. Prepare 9-inch springform pan with coating of coconut oil. Line bottom with parchment paper, and coat over it with oil as well. (Note: you can also make this recipe with an 8- or 10-inch pan, but you'll have to adjust baking time accordingly and of course the thickness of your finished product will vary as well).

3. Place 2/3 of the chocolate, 1 cup of Earth Balance (minus 1 tbsp) and 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a double boiler - you can make your own with a heat-proof bowl resting over a saucepan containing about an inch of simmering water (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Stir the mixture often until the chocolate and Earth Balance are fully combined.

4. Transfer melted chocolate mixture to a large bowl; add turbinado and white sugars and mix well.

5. Add eggs one at a time, and whisk each well before adding the next. Stir in vanilla.

6. Using a sifter or fine colander/strainer, sift the cocoa into the bowl and stir until just combined.

7. Pour the batter in the pan and bake for about 40 minutes (doneness can be gauged based on when cake has risen and a thin crust has formed on top). Remove from oven when done and cool for 30 minutes in pan.

8. For the ganache, melt remaining third of chocolate, 1 tbsp of Earth Balance and 2 tbsp coconut oil in double boiler. Once melted/combined, remove from heat and stir in coconut milk, honey and remaining vanilla. Cool ganache mixture to lukewarm.

9. Once torte is cooled in pan, remove sides of pan and invert torte onto plate/platter (the bottom of the torte will become and remain the top). Lift off bottom of pan and carefully peel off parchment.

10. Slowly pour ganache onto center of cake top (do in quarter amounts to make sure you don't pool too much on at once) and gently spread out to edges in an even layer with a spatula. You can let some drip down the sides, as the drips will harden in formation (which I think looks nice!).At this point, this flourless chocolate torte is good to go as is! But, read on for a little something more...

11. I purchased two packages of Justin's peanut butter cups.These dark chocolate peanut butter cups are also vegan - and DElicious. I froze them and then smashed them into pieces with a rolling pin to sprinkle over the top of the torte. You can also use fruit or any other sweet garnish of your liking!

glutendairyfreechocolatetortepeanutbuttercups1

Once you've completed topping your torte, it helps to refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving - makes slicing a little easier - but room temp is fine too. And if you have leftovers, cut up small pieces/slices and freeze them in individual plastic baggies - they can be eaten right out of the freezer, or slightly thawed. But for how tasty this is, don't expect leftovers to last TOO long!This was plenty rich, so I served it as is. But - in addition to what you top the torte with, you could also plate it with ice cream (coconut milk ice cream for dairy-free!) or non-dairy whipped cream (more on that later...) to keep it dairy-free.

Recipe(s): Putting Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar to Delicious Use

So far, we've used the vanilla balsamic vinegar we purchased from Olive Creations in two dishes - one sweet, one savory (both vegan!) - and both were delicious. The first:Brussels Sprouts with Beans & GrainsThis was one of those on-the-spot, use-what's-in-the-fridge/cupboards meals that was simple and super healthy. It's a combination of some of my favorite foods, and the vanilla vinegar added a special touch (though regular balsamic vinegar would be more than fine as well!)What You Need:- 20 (approx.) brussels sprouts, halved- 1/2 package Trader Joes Harvest Grains blend- 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed- Virgin/unrefined coconut oil (a couple of tbsp, to taste)- Sea and/or truffle salt and ground pepper, to taste- Garlic powder, to taste- Vanilla balsamic vinegar, to tasteWhat You Do:- THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Heat a (preferably nonstick) cast-iron griddle pan on the stovetop over low-medium heat. Melt about 1 tbsp of coconut oil (add or reduce the amount of oil based on your preference and the pan you're using) on heated pan. Place brussels sprouts flat side down on the pan and season with salt (consider using truffle salt if you have it!) and pepper; cook until they are lightly browned and begin to soften, and then flip and continue cooking to desired doneness. When finished, place in a bowl and toss with approx. 1 tbsp of the vinegar.- THE GRAINS: Cook on stovetop according to directions on the package. I used coconut oil in place of butter or olive oil, and once the grains were finished cooking I added approx. another 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil. Then, season to taste with ground pepper and garlic powder. Keeping the flame beneath the pot on the lowest setting, add the kidney beans and stir; wait until they are warmed through.- SERVE: Combine all in a bowl and enjoy! (Side note: I love the vanilla vinegar so much I also added a bit to the grains in my bowl)Coconut Milk Ice Cream with Vanilla Balsamic VinegarWhat You Need:- Coconut-milk vanilla ice cream- Vegan chocolate chip cookies, or whatever you have handy (I will be posting my recipe this week!)- Vanilla balsamic vinegarWhat You Do:Kind of a no-brainer here - just combine all of the ingredients together in whatever amounts you prefer in a bowl! For three small scoops of ice cream totaling about 3/4 cups, about 1 tsp of vinegar was added on top. You may be surprised at just how tasty the vinegar is with the ice cream! And I'd bet regular aged balsamic vinegar would do just fine as well.