Chocolate Peppermint Flourless Torte

Serves: 8
1 scant tablespoon butter
8 ounces semisweet morsels
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 tablespoon pieces
¼ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, for dusting
6 to 10 small fresh mint leaves for garnish
Freshly whipped heavy cream
Parchment paper

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. ​Set an empty roasting pan on lowest rack of oven. Pour enough water into the roasting to fill it halfway.
3. Lightly butter a 9” X 4½” loaf pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper approximately 9” X 16”, large enough to line the long sides of the loaf pan with a two to three-inch overhang on each side.
4. ​Put chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot water or in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring, until melted. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
5. Put heavy cream in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
6. ​Put eggs and sugar in a clean medium bowl and using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until tripled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Whisk the peppermint extract into the chocolate.
8. ​Gently fold half of the chocolate peppermint mixture into egg mixture until almost incorporated. Then fold in remaining chocolate that mixture.
9. Gently fold the reserved whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
10. ​Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Set loaf pan in roasting pan. Bake until chocolate loses its sheen and appears set when loaf pan is jiggled slightly, about 25 minutes.
11. Carefully transfer roasting pan to a heatproof surface. Remove loaf pan from water bath; let cool completely on a rack.
12. ​Slip a flat edge knife into each of the paperless ends of the loaf pan to loosen. Pulling up on parchment, remove from pan; transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
13. Using a large spatula, gently loosen torte from parchment and then invert the torte onto a serving platter.
14. ​​​Using a sieve or duster, lightly dust treat with cocoa. Garnish with fresh and chocolate mint leaves, and whipped cream if desired.