Recipe: Baumkuchen

BAUMKUCHEN

2/3 cup almonds
3 (10-oz. each) jars apricot preserves
13 oz. almond paste (about 1 2/3 c.)
1/3 cup half and half, light cream or milk
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
10 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
10 egg whites
dash salt
1/2 cup sugar
Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)

Allow all ingredients to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and flour two 8x8x2-inch pans; set aside. Finely grind almonds; set aside. Heat preserves; press through sieve, discarding pulp. Set puree aside.

Prepare batter:
Into a small mixer bowl crumble almond paste. Gradually add cream or milk, beating at low speed with electric mixer till smooth. Transfer to large mixing bowl. In same small bowl beat butter till fluffy. Stir in rum, peel, and vanilla. By hand stir in flour and cornstarch till combined. Stir this into the almond paste mixture. In same small bowl beat egg yolks and the 1/2 cup sugar till thick and light-colored (6 to 8 minutes). Fold into almond paste mixture. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites and a dash of salt to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating to stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into almond paste mixture.

Adjust oven rack so that the bottom of the pans will be about 5 to 6 inches from heat. Carefully spread about 1/2 cup of the batter in a very thin layer over the bottom of the prepared pan. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or till deep golden brown and batter is set. Repeat spreading and broiling with another 1/2 cup batter. Spread a generous 2 tablespoons of the strained apricot preserves atop the broiled batter to about 1/2 inch from edge, and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of the ground almonds. Then carefully spread another 1/2 cup batter evenly over nut layer. Broil as above.

Repeat spreading and broiling with another 1/2 cup batter. Continue layering and broiling, spreading preserves and sprinkling almonds after each two layers of batter as above. (Some of the preserves, about 3/4 cup, should remain for the glaze.) Cool tortes completely in pans on wire rack. When cooled, loosen and remove sides of pan. Lift tortes to serving platter using wide metal spatulas. Make two cuts in each square torte to make three ingots from each.

In small saucepan bring remaining glaze to boiling boil gently for 3 to 5 minutes or till reduced by about one-third. Spread Apricot Glaze over top of tortes, allowing to drizzle down sides. Chill.

Prepare Chocolate Glaze (below). Spread over top, then down and over sides of chilled tortes. If desired, tortes may be prepared ahead and chilled; let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before
slicing thinly to serve.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
1/3 cup unsalted butter
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons dark rum

In small heavy saucepan over low heat, melt together butter and chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in corn syrup and rum till smooth. Cool completely at room temperature (mixture thickens upon cooling).