Warm Dark Chocolate Torte (A Dessert To Die For!) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

TORTE INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup chocolate pastry cream (see following recipe and directions)
1 1 cup blackberries or 1 cup pitted cherries (, or any fresh berries that you like!)
CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounces milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ounce dark semi-sweet chocolate, grated

Preparation

-----TOMAKE THE CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM-----.
Place the cornstarch in a small nonstick saucepan.
Whisk in 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth, and then whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup milk.
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan, and then add the bean.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, beat together the egg, egg yolk, and sugar.
Beating constantly add a small amount of the milk mixture to the egg mixture to temper it.
Beating constantly, add the egg mixture to the milk mixture in the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until the mixture has thickened.
Strain through a very fine sieve into a clean bowl.
Mix in the grated chocolate.
(NOTE: In other recipes, the sauce may be used/served warm or chilled. Store any extra, unused sauce, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days).
-----TOMAKE THE WARM CHOCOLATE TORTE-----.
Spray 4 (4-oz.) ramekins with nonstick spray.
Lightly dust the interior of the ramekins with confectioners' sugar.
Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F.
Place the egg whites in a medium bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy.
Gradually add 3 tablespoons of superfine granulated sugar and beat on high speed until the whites are stiff and shiny.
Fold in the pastry cream.
Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
Pipe the mixture into the prepared ramekins, piping in a spiral motion to fill the ramekins halfway.
Divide the berries over the meringue.
Pipe 2 additional circles of meringue over the berries.
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the meringue is just set.
Serve warm.