I’ve got a secret. I realize it may be too soon in our relationship for me to tell you this, but I don’t think I can keep it to myself much longer. You’re bound to find out sooner or later.

I have thing for chocolate. Not just a thing, really. It’s a full-blown, OMG, lose-my-mind-at-the-first-sight-of-it, kind of a thing. Don’t get the wrong impression though, I can’t stand the cheap, waxy kind. You couldn’t pay me any amount of money to eat a Hershey’s Kiss. I love the dark stuff. And French words like ganache, pots de creme, and torte send me to the moon and back. I’ll stop short of saying I’m a chocoholic because I mostly avoid the stuff (really I do)— but once in a while, when I let go and allow myself to indulge, there’s nothing better on this planet than a deep, dark, luscious, smooth chocolate dessert.

I feel better now that I’ve gotten that out in the open. But seriously, this is a blog about about health and wellness. Who do I think I am writing about chocolate! Well, here’s my theory. If you agree, feel free to try the recipe and let me know what you think. If you don’t, well, fine. Be that way. Honestly, I did debate for several hours about whether this blog was the right forum for my torte recipe, but the hedonist in me knocked out the health nut in me after just two rounds. It’s this simple— I think we should all eat healthy foods, mostly plants, avoid sugar, chemicals, and artificial foods at all costs. But I also believe it’s ok to bend the rules occasionally, and consciously enjoy things that bring us immense pleasure.

I’ve made this recipe many times, but this specific, rustic incarnation was created recently while visiting friends in Oregon. It is the culinary manifestation of letting go (and if that makes no sense to you at all, you may want to read my post, Lessons from a Little Zen Kitchen in Oregon). This rustic torte is the laid-back, easy-going, sibling of my original torte, which is more of an urban, sophisticate whose single goal in life is to make a stunning first impression. Amazingly, both tortes have exactly the same ingredients, yet the results are stunningly different. Both are exceptionally easy to make and absolutely orgasmic to eat.

Enjoy.

Rustic Chocolate Torte with Sea Salt and Fresh Basil Oil

There are three separate components that make this dessert outrageously divine. First, there’s a simple nut-crust. Then there is a seductive layer of soft, homemade caramel, topped with the most decadent chocolate ganache. Don’t be fooled, even though it sounds complex and time consuming, it’s not.

If you prefer a vegan version, this recipe works wonderfully with almond cream substituted for the dairy cream. I’ll be posting an article soon about making homemade nut milks and creams, but in the meantime, feel free to contact me if you want to know how to make the vegan version of this.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE NUT CRUST

• 2 cups raw nuts such as pecans or walnuts (nuts with a higher fat content work well). You can also mix different kinds of nuts— I like a combination of pecans for the flavor and cashews for the consistency.
• 2 tblsp honey, or agave (optional).

FOR THE CARAMEL

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 generous pinch sea salt
• 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted, at room temperature

FOR THE GANACHE

• 6 ounces 61% chocolate, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon Fluer de sel
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 5 tablespoons butter, unsalted, at room temperature

FINISHING TOUCHES

• Fluer de sel (flake sea salt)
• One large bunch fresh basil, chopped (Reserve several small basil leaves for garnish)
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

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METHOD

To make the nut crust:

A nut crust is basically made from nuts processed to the point where they stick together (the oils in the nuts help make this happen) but not ground so much that they become nut butter. I typically use a food processor to chop nuts, but one of the reasons this is a rustic torte is that I didn’t have a food processor. We did have a blender and it worked just fine.  This nut crust is not baked, so once you press nuts into the pan, you’re done. See how easy that is.

1. Process/blend nuts
   Ideal method: Use food processor to process nuts and sweetener (if desired) until the consistency is that of a slightly chunky, sticky batter.
   2nd best methed: Use a blender to blend nuts and sweetener. You will likely need to blend small batches. You’ll also want to add a small amount of liquid to get things started… I used water, but you could also use a small amount of oil (something neutral like safflower oil, or a nut oil like walnut). Go easy on the oil… you don’t need much. Remember, the point is to get the nuts to stick together when pressed in the bottom of a pan.
2. Press ground nuts into bottom of pie pan.

To make the caramel:

1. In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat the sugar and sea salt. When the sugar begins to turn slightly golden, begin stirring it gently. You will notice the sugar start to caramelize and melt. If the sugar sticks to side of pan, dip a pastry brush in water and brush the sides of the pan.
2. When the sugar becomes a dark amber color, add the cream and keep stirring until the sugar is completely melted.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter.
4. Let the caramel cool slightly until it no longer feels warm but is still liquid enough to pour.
5. Pour the warm caramel into your nut crust.

To make the chocolate ganache:

1. Place the chopped chocolate and sea salt in a glass or stainless steel bowl. (Don’t use plastic.)
2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream to a boil.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let melt. Whisk the mixture until smooth and the chocolate is melted.
4. When the chocolate is melted, or nearly melted, whisk in the butter and stir until the ganache is smooth and shiny.
5. Let the ganache rest for about 10 minutes and then pour it on top of your caramel layer.
6. Sprinkle top with a small amount of Fluer de sel (Sea salt). Be sure to use flake sea salt and go easy. It should be decorative.

To make the basil oil:

1. Bring 1 cup olive oil and the chopped basil to a simmer in small saucepan.
2. Simmer on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and allow basil to steep in oil for 30 minutes (or as long as 8 hours).
4. Strain oil into glass container and discard basil.
5. Basil oil will keep for months in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.

TO SERVE

Garnish each slice with a basil leaf and drizzle a small amount of basil oil over the top.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: Gazillions
Sugar: Oodles
Pleasure: Immeasurable