- 1/2 cup gingersnap crumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup bottled mincemeat
- coffee or vanilla ice cream as an accompaniment
- Line a buttered 8-inch round cake pan with a round of wax paper, and dust the pan with flour, knocking out the excess. In a small bowl stir together the gingersnap crumbs and the baking powder. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg yolks and the sugar until the mixture is thick and pale and beat in the mincemeat and the crumb mixture. In another bowl with cleaned beaters beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir one third of them into the batter to lighten the batter, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, bake the torte in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 20 minutes, or until it begins to shrink from the side of the pan, and transfer it to a rack. Let the torte cool for 15 minutes and invert it onto the rack. Discard the wax paper and invert the torte onto a plate. Serve the torte, cut into wedges, with the ice cream.