TWD: Chocolate Amaretti Torte

Years ago, when we were teenagers, my cousin Phyllis got a part-time job at a very well known Italian bakery in New York City. I was already living in Florida at the time, where anything Italian pretty much didn't exist. We didn't even have a Domino's for crissake! I was so jealous picturing Phyllis covered in powdered sugar, surrounded by piles of cannoli, zeppole, sfogliatelle and numerous other delectable Italian pastries. What a dream job!

Phyllis was always very petite. I asked her once how she managed not to gain weight working in such a fairyland of sugar, butter and pastry cream. She told me that at first, it was hard not to sample everything in sight. But, that after a while, she got kind of sick of being around all of those pastries, cookies and cakes and lost her appetite for them. Impossible, I thought! Sacrilege! But, after a year and a half of baking for this blog, including a year of TWD, I kind of understand what she meant.

I've always considered myself to have a major sweet tooth, though I never really baked much before SGCC. It was, and is, very exhilarating and rewarding to try new things and share them with you here. I've created desserts that I never dreamed I would ever be able to pull off! And, I have! But, to be honest, I just don't get that same thrill looking at a freshly baked chocolate layer cake cooling on my kitchen counter that I once did. Ganache and Italian buttercream don't hold the same allure for me anymore. I find that after just a few small bites, I'm done.

How could this be? Am I jaded? Have I really lost my desire for sweets?

I don't think so. I just think that too much of a good thing is sometimes.....well.....too much!

So, has this unwelcome phenomenon ever happened to any of you? And, if so, how have you handled it? I'd really love to know.

That being said, I really must tell you that I had no problem at all scarfing down a big slice of Dorie's Chocolate Amaretti Torte! It kinda did thrill me. (Maybe there's hope for me yet!) She calls it "15 Minute Magic" because the whole recipe can be whipped up and ready to bake in under fifteen minutes. Although, you'd never guess after tasting it. It's another flourless recipe, using ground almonds and amaretti cookies for substance. It is rich, dense and fudgy - almost like a brownie - but with a bit of a nubby texture from the nuts. Coated with a glossy dark chocolate ganache and topped with an almond kissed whipped cream, it was an absolutely dreamy dessert!

Kudos to Holly from Phe.MOM.enon for choosing this week's fabulous TWD recipe. You can find the recipe for this torte on Holly's site. You can also see lots more Chocolate Amaretti Tortes over at the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll.