Chocolate Torte of Joy

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

I can't decide if hobbits have chocolate. But if they do, I think they might make this sort of thing with it (specifically, see the note after the recipe)


Chocolate Torte of Joy
1 tbsp flour or cocoa
1 tbsp butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup, cane syrup, or maple syrup (if you like the flavor with chocolate), or 3 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate (optional)
Sifted powdered sugar (optional)

1. In a mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cut in 1/3 cup butter till mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Take a 9X9X2 baking pan, rub it with the 1 tbsp butter, and dust with the 1 tbsp flour or cocoa. Pat the crumb mixture into the bottom of the baking pan.

2. For filling, in the mixing bowl, beat the 1 1/4 cups sugar and 3/4 cup butter till combined. Beat in the corn syrup, vanilla, and egg till just combined.

3. Add the 1 cup flour and the 1/4 cup cocoa alternately with the
evaporated milk or cream, beating till just combined (batter will appear
slightly curdled). Stir in chips or grated chocolate, if using.

4. Pour into crust-lined baking pan. Bake in a 350 oven for about 35
minutes or till the cake is nearly but not quite firm when you shake it.
Let cool in pan on wire rack. Remove to serving plate. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar, if you like.




If hobbits have chocolate, they likely recieve it and use it much as people did in 1700's England and the North American colonies, which is where my knowledge comes from. In those days, chocolate came in sacks and bags of cocoa beans, and it was roasted, ground, and mixed into hot liquid. Or, for baking, into batter. For this recipe, to use cocoa beans I'd remove a third of the butter and use 1/3 cup of ground cocoa beans.