Caramelized almonds

Method: Line several sheet pans with silicone liners or parchment paper. Insert a toothpick into the fat end of each almond. Heat the sugar and water over medium heat stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook until it reaches a light caramel. Quickly dip an almond into the caramel holding it upside down over the pot so that a long tail of caramel forms. Place on the sheet pans to harden. Repeat with the remaining almonds, warming the caramel over low heat if it solidifies. Remove toothpicks before using.

Assembly: Remove the pan extender from the frozen cake, and trim the edges of the cake. Portion it into bars about 2 ins. by 4 ins. The pan should yield about 4 1/2 dozen bars. To garnish, cut the brittle into uniform pieces roughly the size of each portion of the chocolate torte. Position a piece of brittle on each slice of torte. Add a generous spoonful of white chocolate mousse, a caramelized almond and a slice of fresh apricot if desired.