Torta Caprese: An Italian-Inspired Brownie Recipe

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 325u00b0F. Meanwhile, grind the chocolate, 4 ounces of sugar, 1/2 ounce sea salt, and 16 ounces of walnuts in a food processor until crumbly and powdery but not sticky. Empty into a large bowl. Add the melted butter and the egg yolks.

2. 2

   With a mixer and in a separate bowl, slowly begin to whip the egg whites, while gradually adding the remaining 4 ounces sugar, until you have a very soft meringue.

3. 3

   Gently combine the whites and the chocolate mixture. Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until puffy and firm, the edges are dark, and the center still seems a bit underdone it is ready, about 25 minutes-this will ensure that the cake will be moist later on. Remove from oven and let cool. Cake will deflate a bit upon cooling. Place in freezer just long enough to firm up the cake for a clean cut. (This is more a restaurant thing, where we are looking for precise clean cuts; at home you can just let it cool and then cut as needed-the more rustic the better. Either way, you are looking for the cake to be moist and kind of crumbly at the same time. It's a great combination-very Italian.)

4. 4

   Meanwhile, roast walnut slivers with olive oil, chile flakes, and just a little bit of ground cumin.

5. 5

   Remove cake from freezer and cut into squares. Allow to come to room temperature. Top each square with a sliver of walnut and a single drop of the balsamic vinegar. Serve with a pint of olive oil gelato that you picked up from

6. 6

   . Eat lots.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.

No additional tips available.