Chocolate-Walnut Torte Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (38 cookies)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 1/4 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5 to 6 fresh nonpoisonous (unsprayed) leaves (such as lemon, grape or rose leaves) or pliable plastic leaves
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips or 1 oz semisweet baking chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon shortening