Cherry Almond White Chocolate Sandwiches Food

CHERRY-ALMOND CHOCOLATE SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Make the shortcakes: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until combined. Work in the butter with your fingers until it is in pea-size pieces, then stir in the chopped chocolate. Whisk the heavy cream and egg in a small bowl, then add to the flour mixture and stir until combined. (The dough will be slightly sticky.)
• Scoop 6 balls of dough (about 1/3 cup each) onto the prepared baking sheet using a large ice cream scoop or a measuring cup, spacing the dough 2 to 3 inches apart. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush each ball of dough with melted butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake until the edges are firm and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Toss the cherries with 1/3 cup granulated sugar, the cornstarch, almond extract and water in a medium saucepan; let sit 30 minutes. Cook over medium heat until the juices are bubbling and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the amaretto. Let cool to room temperature, at least 2 hours.
• Beat the heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Whisk the mascarpone to loosen, then beat into the whipped cream until medium peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Split each shortcake and fill with the whipped cream and cherries.

CHERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE ALMOND TWIST

Steps:

• Drain 1/2 cup cherries thoroughly; reserve 2 to 4 teaspoons cherry juice for Glaze.
• Measure carefully, placing 1/2 cup cherries and remaining bread dough ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
• Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycles.
• Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on lightly floured surface. In small bowl, mix baking chips, almonds and 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Grease large cookie sheet with shortening. On floured surface, roll dough into 15x10-inch rectangle. Spread 2 tablespoons butter over dough. Sprinkle with almond mixture and 1/4 cup cherries; press into dough. Beginning at 15-inch side, roll up dough; press to seal seam. Place, seam side down, on cookie sheet.
• Cut roll lengthwise in half. Place halves, filling sides up and side by side, on cookie sheet; twist together gently and loosely. Pinch ends to seal. Cover and let rise in warm place about 45 minutes or until double.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool 20 minutes. In small bowl, stir powdered sugar and enough cherry juice for drizzling consistency. Drizzle over coffee cake.

CHERRY ALMOND CHOCOLATE CLUSTERS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and the cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the water is not touching the top pan. Remove the double boiler from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom of it and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water. This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters.
• Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND-CHERRY BRITTLE

Steps:

• Grease a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil. Toss together the almonds, chocolate chips, orange zest and cherries in a small bowl, then spread them out in an even layer covering the entire baking sheet.
• In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar and 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring; instead, using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan a few times to incorporate any sugar stuck to the sides of the pan. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup turns golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully pour the caramelized sugar over the nut mixture on the baking sheet. (Be careful not to move the baking sheet at this point; it will be very hot.) Let cool for at least 2 hours.
• Break the brittle into pieces and place in bags for hungry trick-or-treaters.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
• Combine the cake flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in 1 medium bowl. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and add the vanilla extract. Measure the milk and half-and-half into a third bowl. In a 5-quart mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides using a spatula. Turn the mixer on first speed, add the sugar, and mix until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down the bowl. Add sour cream and mayonnaise and incorporate completely. Scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with wet. You will start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix the batter until smooth and no lumps are present.
• De-stem the maraschino cherries and squeeze out the excess liquid. Using a food processor, mince the cherries using the pulse button. Do not over process. Add the minced cherries, cherry juice, and white chocolate chips to the batter. Incorporate the ingredients completely using a spatula. Fill the cupcake liners using a 2-ounce scoop. Bake until golden brown and light and fluffy, 17 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.
• To assemble: Place a round tip # 809 into a large piping bag. Fill the piping bag with Casey's Buttercream and generously pipe onto each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with 1 maraschino cherry and 5 large pearls. Finish by sprinkling edible glitter over the tops of the cupcakes.
• In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening together. On first speed, add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl in 3 parts. Let each part incorporate into the butter mixture before adding the next. After adding all the sugar, put the mixer on the fourth (highest) speed and mix for 8 to 10 minutes. The buttercream will begin to gain volume and look white and fluffy. Once you bring the buttercream to full volume, add the extracts and vodka and incorporate completely.

CHERRY-ALMOND COOKIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large mixing bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until thoroughly mixed.
• Combine flour and baking soda in a separate bowl; gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing until incorporated. Stir in white chocolate chips, cherries, and almonds. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine cookies and nuts; cover and process until cookies are finely chopped. Add butter; cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs., Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack., For filling, combine cornstarch and water in a small saucepan until smooth. Stir in pie filling. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Cool completely., For mousse, in a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cream; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat., In a large bowl, beat remaining cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and extract; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in gelatin mixture. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Fold whipped cream mixture into pudding. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes. , Spread cooled filling into crust; top with mousse. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Garnish with chocolate syrup and curls if desired.

WHITE CHOCOLATE BAKEWELL (CHERRY AND ALMOND) FUDGE

Steps:

• Put the white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan and warm over a very low heat, stirring continuously until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.
• Stir in the almond extract and then the glace cherries.
• Line a loaf pan with cling film (saran wrap) and pour the warm fudge mixture inches.
• Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, until completely set (ideally overnight).
• Then turn out of the pan and serve (this is a soft fudge so is best served slightly chilled).
• NB If desired, you can quarter extra glace cherries and scatter them over the top of the fudge before chilling to make it look a little more colourful!