Robin's Coffee-Toffee Crunch Torte

Robin’s Coffee-Toffee Crunch Torte

A decadent dessert that is time consuming to make but can be made days in advance.  This is one I first made for my mom when I had a ladies birthday party for her when she turned 80 and I recently made this for Suzy for when I hosted her 80th birthday party.  It's a big hit!

Serves: 12 - 16 / depending on size of the slices

CRUST:
1 cup almonds, toasted
1 package of Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies,
2 Heath Bars, coursely chopped
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

GANACHE:
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

MOUSSE:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 ½ cups chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons Kahlua
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 Heath bars, coarsely chopped

FOR CRUST: Preheat oven to 350.  Grind nuts, cookies and heath bars in a food processor.  Add
the butter.  Using a plastic glove or plastic wrap as an aid, press mixture onto bottom and up sides of
9-inch diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4" sides.  Freeze for 15 minutes.
Bake crust until golden, about 12 minutes.  Freeze crust.

FOR GANACHE: Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in chocolate until melted and smooth.  Pour into a squeeze bottle.

FOR MOUSSE: Whisk sugar, yolks, water and espresso powder in a large bowl.  Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not let bowl touch the water).  Whisk until candy thermometer reaches 160F.  Remove from over the water.  Add nutmeg.  Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and thick, about 5 minutes.  
Beat the cream, Kahlua and vanilla in another large bowl until stiff peaks form.  Fold cream mixture and heath bar pieces into egg mixture.  Spoon half of the mousse into the crust.  Squirt in a zig-zag pattern half of the ganache.  Carefully spoon remaining mousse into the pan.  In a zig-zag pattern, squirt the ganache in one direction and then the other direction, creating a free form grid pattern.
Cover and freeze torte overnight.  Can be made days in advance.

Note: Squeeze bottles available on Amazon.  I cut a tiny bit of the tip off to make the opening a bit bigger.