Glazed Flourless Chocolate Torte

I am breaking from tradition.  For a number of years now, I have baked a batch of luscious red velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day. A semi-homemade affair, but they are soft, moist and delicious. For some reason this year, I am just not feeling it.  I got up this morning with red velvet cupcakes on my to do list, when all of the sudden it hit me.  I don't really want them and I mean really, if you are going to indulge in massive dessert calories, you should at least really want it. 

So the question for the morning became what do I want, and will it work for my 9 year old daughter who has come to expect red velvet cupcakes on Valentine's Day. I know I want something decadent and chocolaty, and realize the perfect treat would be a flourless chocolate torte, because who needs all that flour in there lightening up the chocolate flavor!  I casually ask Gigi if that would work for her, knowing it certainly would.

So after my trip to gym, I plan to head to the grocery store and pick up my ingredients.  I am really happy I decided to go to the gym, and I'm not talking about the part where I burn up enough calories to make up for ones I would consume with the torte.  Because really that would take all day. While I was there, I caught a cooking snippet on the Today show with a celebrity chef who was making a bunch of stuff that I was not interested in, but there was on thing she had that I did like.  She made these little heart shaped candies out of candy melts to add some bling to her dessert.  Okay, add a trip to Michael's to pick up candy melts and a mold.

A quick look through a cookbook and a web search gave me all the info I needed for my torte.  I found a recipe at About.com that would serve as my foundation.  I increased amounts because I had a larger pan and swapped out some of the semi-sweet chocolate for bittersweet. 

This torte is so easy to make, it may become one of my go to desserts, especially for a pot luck.

                     
Glazed Flourless Chocolate Torte

Serves 10

Torte
5 ounces  semisweet chocolate -- coarsely chopped
4 ounces  bittersweet chocolate -- coarsely chopped
3/4 cup  butter
1 cup  sugar
5 large  eggs
3/4 cup  cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons  vanilla
                       
Glaze
3 ounces  semisweet chocolate -- coarsely chopped
2 1/4 tablespoons  butter
2 1/4 teaspoons  milk
2 1/4 teaspoons  agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon  vanilla

3 ounces  candy melts

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray the paper.

Put the 5 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, 4 ounces of bitter sweet chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave stirring every 15 seconds until smooth.

Add sugar and return the bowl to the microwave for 3-4, 15 second intervals, until the sugar starts to dissolve.

Add each egg, one at time whisking thoroughly.

Sift the cocoa into mixture and whisk until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The center of the torte should be just firm to the touch, do not over bake.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the outside of the pan. The original recipe says to invert it, but I smell disaster so it will stay on the botton part of the springform pan.

Meanwhile melt the candy melts in the microwave 15 seconds at a time until smooth.  Pour into molds and refrigerate.

Put the remaining chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in microwave stirring every 15 seconds until smooth.

Add the milk, agave syrup and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy.

Let the glaze cool for a few minutes then pour over the middle of the torte.

Evenly spread the glaze over the cake, letting it run down the sides of the torte.

Decorate glazed torte with candies.
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Nutritional Analysis (from Mastercook)

Per Serving (Minus candy melts): 449 Calories; 33g Fat (59.8% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 150mg Cholesterol; 208mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 6 Fat; 2 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.