Recipe - Caramel-Glazed Walnut Cake-Gateau Grenoblois

CAKE
8 (1 inch thick slices of
French bread, crust
trimmed, bread cut into
cubes
1 One half cup Walnuts, lightly toasted
1 cup Sugar
4 Large egg yolks
2 tablespoon Dark rum
4 teaspoon Instant espresso coffee
powder dissolved in
1 t water
1 teaspoon Grated lemon peel
6 Large egg whites
1 pn Salt

CARAMEL
One half cup Sugar
2 tablespoon Water
8 Walnut halves, toasted

FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 9inch diameter springform pan.
Line bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment. Dust pan with flour.
Finely grind bread in processor. Spread on baking sheet. Bake until golden,
stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Finely grind breadcrumbs in
processor. Measure Three fourths cup crumbs (reserve remainder for another use).
Finely grind nuts in processor.

Using electric mixer, beat Three fourths cup sugar and yolks in large bowl until
thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in rum, coffee powder mixture and peel. Mix
in Three fourths cup crumbs and ground nuts. Beat whites and salt in another large
bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining One fourth cup sugar and beat
until stiff. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter. Fold in remaining whites in 2
additons.

Spoon batter into pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes
out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn out cake.
Peel off parchment. Turn cake over; cool on rack 15 minutes.

Line baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil foil. Place cake on prepared
sheet.

FOR CARAMEL: Combine sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over
mediumlow heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to mediumhigh and
boil without stirring until mixture turns amber, brushing down sides of pan
with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 6 minutes.

Pour caramel over top of cake. Oil tip of knife. Immediately cut through
caramel layer only, marking 8 serving pieces. Garnish with walnut halves.
Cool completely.

From the FrancheComte & The Alps region of France. Bon Appetit/May 94
Typed by Didi Pahl

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini