8 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. walnuts, ground
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a standing mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar for 10 minutes: the mixture should be very thick and pale.
3. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla extract, and walnuts. Mix with a wooden spoon just to combine.
4. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.
5. Mix about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Fold in the remaining whites, quickly and decisively, until there are no white streaks.
6. Pour the batter into a 9-inch spring form pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned and the torte is dry when tested with a toothpick or skewer. Cool on a rack and remove sides. Serve the torte the same day it's made.
Note: You can melt the chocolate in a microwave. Put the wrapped pieces on a plate and microwave for 2 minutes. With a spatula, scrape the chocolate from it's paper directly into the batter. Or carefully melt the chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring.
The nut should retain some crunch: don't grind the a complete powder.