Chocolate Almond Cake With Sugared Cranberries Food

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and extracts; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , For frosting, cream butter, sugar and extracts in a small bowl until smooth. Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over cake. Decorate with almonds.

CRANBERRY ALMOND CHOCOLATE BARS WITH TANGERINE ZEST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.
• Lay out almond slivers on baking sheet. Bake in oven until light brown, shaking the baking pan occasionally to mix them around, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Melt the chocolate morsels in a double boiler over low heat. Mix in the cranberries, almond slivers and tangerine zest.
• Pour into prepared pan. Smooth the chocolate mixture out into an even layer. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until hard, at least 1 hour. Use a knife to break up chocolate into jagged, varied sized bars.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup each water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup cranberries and a few strips of lemon zest, then remove from the heat and let cool; drain. Thinly slice the zest. Put 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a pie plate; add the cranberries and zest and toss. Let set, 1 hour, shaking the dish occasionally.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine the granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and weight with a plate to submerge. Cover the pot and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours. Strain the cranberries, reserving the syrup. (Refrigerate leftover syrup in an airtight container for up to 1 month.)
• Spread the superfine sugar on a baking sheet; toss the cranberries in the sugar. Refrigerate on the baking sheet, uncovered, for 1 hour. Toss again in the sugar before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Stir, then leave to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, tip the eggs and sugar into a second bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 4-5 mins, or until thick and creamy. Add the mascarpone or soft cheese and vanilla, and continue to beat until everything is combined. Lightly fold in the cooled melted chocolate mixture until everything is one even colour, then fold in the almonds. Sift over the cocoa powder and a small pinch of salt, and fold in to combine.
• Scrape the cake batter into the prepared tin. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is puffed up and has cracked on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30-40 mins - it will deflate as it cools. Serve warm as a chocolate pudding, or leave to cool completely and enjoy as a fudgy brownie cake. Dust with extra cocoa powder before serving.

SOFT SUGAR COOKIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE, ALMONDS, AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat sugar, shortening, and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixture until smooth. Beat eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract into butter mixture.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until dough just comes together. Stir almonds, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries into the dough.
• Drop rounded tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake cookies until bottom edges are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool cookies for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake, pudding mix, water, oil, eggs and extract; beat until combined. Stir in 2 cups chocolate chips. , Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , In a small saucepan, combine the creamer and remaining chocolate chips. Cook over low heat until chips are melted; stir until smooth. Cool for 45 minutes. Drizzle over cake. Garnish with almonds.

CRANBERRY-ALMOND POUND CAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine dried cranberries and amaretto. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool., In a large bowl, beat almond paste, half of the butter, and 1/4 cup sugar until well blended. Add remaining butter and remaining sugar; cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in almond extract., Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Fold in fresh cranberries and dried cranberry mixture. Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan., Bake at 325° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-65 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Combine glaze ingredients; beat until smooth. Drizzle over cake. If desired, top with sugared cranberries and sliced almonds.