Black Forest Preserves Food

BLACK FOREST PRESERVES

Steps:

• 1. Start by sterilizing jars and lids. This takes a little while, so I start this 1st. I place my clean jars in my canner and cover with hot water. Bring this to a boil and boil for at least 10 minutes. Remove jars when ready to use. Pour some of the boiling water from jars back into canner and keep the water boiling so you will be ready to process jars of jam. In another small pot; sterilize lids in gently boiling water.
• 2. Prepare cherries; remove stems and pit, coarsely chop. I use my food processer and it works great for chopping cherries. Just don't totally liquify the fruit. A little juicey won't hurt.
• 3. Whisk sugar and cocoa together, mixing it good. I did this in the pot I would be cooking the jam in. Add the cherries and lemon juice, stir until combined. Add 1/2 tsp butter to reduce foaming. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add the pectin and return the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute. Remove pot from heat and skim any foam from the surface with a metal spoon. Add Amaretto and stir.
• 4. Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims of the jars, cover with lids, and screw bands on until just barely tight. Place jars on rack in pot and cover completely with boiling water. Cover pot; boil over high heat for 15 minutes. Remove jars from pot and allow them to rest undisturbed on countertop for 12 to 24 hours (do not dry jars). Check seal and band to ensure they sealed properly. Preserved jam will keep for up to one year in a cool, dark place. Unpreserved jam will keep in the refrigerator for about six months.

BLACK FOREST PRESERVES

Steps:

• Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
• In a bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir well.
• In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine cherries and lemon juice. Stir in cocoa mixture. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
• Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in Amaretto. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
• Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and add hot preserves if needed. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band tight.
• Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil, then process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars.

BLACK FOREST BELGIAN WAFFLES

Steps:

• Make the waffle batter: Whisk the flour, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, melted butter and coconut oil, egg yolks and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until combined (it's OK if a few lumps remain).
• In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, then fold in the mini chocolate chips. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the cherry sauce: Bring the cherries and their juice, preserves and maple syrup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Cook the waffles: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet. Preheat a waffle iron (preferable Belgian-style). Lightly brush the waffle iron with melted butter; pour in the batter, filling each compartment about three-quarters full. Close and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the waffles to the rack and keep warm in the oven. Repeat to make more waffles, brushing the waffle iron with more butter each time.
• Thin the cherry sauce with a splash of water, if necessary. Serve the waffles with whipped cream and the sauce.

BLACK FOREST BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray with cooking spray.
• Microwave 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted when stirred. Add butter, cake mix and 1 egg. Beat with mixer until crumbly.
• Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture for later use; press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar in clean bowl with mixer until blended. Add remaining egg; mix well.
• Spread cream cheese mixture over crust; cover with pie filling. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
• Bake 35 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 30 min. Meanwhile, make curls from remaining chocolate. (See tip.)
• Cut dessert into 24 bars. Serve topped with the COOL WHIP and chocolate curls.

BLACK FOREST FUDGE

Steps:

• Line 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with foil. Place first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Mix sugar, condensed milk, cherry preserves, whipping cream, 1/3 cup water and butter in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals. Add dried cherries. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil until thermometer registers 230°F, stirring constantly but slowly and tilting pan if necessary to submerge bulb of thermometer, about 17 minutes.
• Immediately pour hot syrup over chocolate mixture in bowl (do not scrape pan). Using wooden spoon, stir vigorously until chocolate melts and fudge thickens slightly but still remains glossy, about 3 minutes. Transfer fudge to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Chill until firm, about 3 hours.
• Lift fudge from pan, using foil as aid. Fold down foil. Trim edges of fudge. Cut fudge into 24 pieces. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container.) Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

BLACK FOREST CHERRY CAKE ROLL

Steps:

• For cherry filling, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in the 2 tablespoons water. Add cherries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-1/2 teaspoons cherry liqueur or brandy. Cover surface with plastic wrap; cool.
• For cake, grease and lightly flour a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a small mixing bowl; set aside. Beat egg yolks and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, beating on high speed until sugar is almost dissolved.
• Wash beaters thoroughly. Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture. Sprinkle flour mixture over egg mixture; fold in gently just until combined. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
• Bake in a 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan; turn cake out onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll towel and cake into a spiral, starting from a long edge. Cool on a wire rack.
• For chocolate buttercream: Stir together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy small saucepan. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about half of the sugar mixture into 2 slightly beaten egg yolks. Return all of the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat (mixture may look curdled but will become smooth). Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Add 1-1/2 teaspoons cherry liqueur or cherry brandy, if desired. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Beat unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add cooled egg yolk mixture and melted chocolate, beating until combined. If necessary, chill until mixture is of spreading consistency.
• To assemble, unroll cake. Spread cake with chocolate buttercream to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spread cherry filling lengthwise over buttercream layer in a 1-1/2-inch-wide band, starting 1/2 inch from a long edge. Roll up cake without the towel, starting with long edge closest to filling. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.
• To serve, cut cake roll into 1-inch-thick slices. Garnish slices with chocolate curls, if desired. Makes 15 servings.
• Make-ahead tip: Bake, roll, and cool cake as directed. Place cake, with towel, in large airtight container or wrap well with foil. Chill up to 24 hours. Let stand about 30 minutes at room temperature before unrolling and filling.