Happy Birthday Westland Bowl & NASHVEGAS

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Happy Birthday Westland and many more!

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Oops!

Happy Birthday to Westland and Nash. Dang, foiled again. But I did make a Pistachio Brownie Torte yesterday so I must have been subliminally celebrating your birthdays, right?

Happy Belated Birthdays To You Both.



PS
This torte was one of the finalists in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off and when I saw the picture I had to make one. Yummy! Scroll down to see pic and then get your significant other to get out the cake tins and get to baking. Or if you guys are "liberated" menfolk, get out your own stinking cake tins and get after it. You will not be dissapointed in the outcome.

Cake
1 box (19.5 oz) Pillsbury® Traditional Fudge Brownie Mix
1/2 cup CRISCO® Pure Canola Oil
1/4 cup water
3 Eggland's Best eggs
Mousse
1 box (4-serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
3/4 cup cold whole milk
1 cup cold whipping (heavy) cream
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
Glaze
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
4 oz semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
Garnish
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
2 tablespoons Domino® or C&H® Confectioners Powdered Sugar
Reserved 1 tablespoon pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Line bottoms of pans with cooking parchment paper; lightly spray paper with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, oil, water and eggs 50 strokes with spoon. Spread half of batter (1 1/2 cups) evenly in each pan.
3. Bake 27 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge of pan comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling racks 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen. Place cooling rack upside down on 1 pan; turn rack and pan over. Remove pan and parchment paper. Repeat with second brownie layer. Place racks with brownie layers in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, measure 1 tablespoon of the pudding mix; reserve for garnish. In large bowl, beat remaining pudding mix, the milk and 1 cup whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed about 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and creamy. Stir in nuts. Cover; refrigerate.
5. Carefully cut each brownie layer horizontally in half, using long serrated knife, to make 4 layers. On serving plate, place 1 brownie layer, cut side down. Spread 1/3 of the mousse (3/4 cup) evenly to edge of brownie. Repeat layering twice, using 2 brownie layers (place cut sides down) and remaining mousse. Top with remaining brownie layer, cut side down. Refrigerate torte while making glaze.
6. In 1-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup whipping cream over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until bubbles start to form at edge of saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir constantly until smooth. Stir in vanilla and corn syrup; let stand 10 minutes. Stir glaze; spoon over top of torte, allowing some to run down side. Return torte to refrigerator while making garnish.
7. In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup whipping cream, the powdered sugar and reserved 1 tablespoon pudding mix on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon mixture into decorating bag fitted with star tip and pipe rosettes on top of torte, or spoon dollops of mixture on torte. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining torte.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): For cake, increase water to 1/3 cup and add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.

(I had to double the brownie batter and make 4 "cakes" as I only had 9 inch cake pans so brownie was too thin to be cut in half easily. Also, I trimmed the "hard" edge off the cooled brownie cakes before stacking so when you cut the torte for serving into slices no pressure was needed which kept the mousse from squishing out.)

And this concludes our home economics class for today.