Dark Cherry Dessert Food

SWEET DARK CHERRY COBBLER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a large saucepan; stir in water until mixture is smooth. Add cherries and butter to sugar mixture and bring to a boil; cook and stir until cherry mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour cherry filling into the prepared baking dish.
• Mix flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir milk into flour mixture until topping is just moistened. Drop topping by spoonfuls over cherry filling; sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over topping.
• Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

BLACK FOREST CHERRY DESSERT

Steps:

• Combine 2 tablespoons of milk and 3 tablespoons cornstarch in a small cup. Pour remaining milk and sugar into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk in cornstarch-milk mixture, and cook until milk starts to thicken, about 2 minutes.
• Pour 1/8 cup cold water into a bowl. Sprinkle gelatin powder on top. Let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Add 1/8 cup of hot milk mixture to the bowl with the gelatin, and stir constantly until granules are completely dissolved.
• Remove saucepan from heat and stir in dissolved gelatin mixture. Cool milk mixture completely, 1 to 2 hours.
• Beat cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl using an electric mixer until frothy. Add vanilla sugar gradually, continuing to beat until firm peaks form. Fold into the saucepan with the chilled milk mixture.
• Pour cherry syrup into a small saucepan. Mix in 1 tablespoon cornstarch and bring to a boil over medium heat until thickened. Immediately stir in cherries and pour into a glass bowl. Pour cream mixture on top in a thick layer and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.

BLACK CHERRY LAYERED PRETZEL DESSERT

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Pour cola in microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl. Let stand, stirring occasionally, while preparing crust. Combine crushed pretzels, sugar and butter until moistened. Press evenly in 8x8-inch baking pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool completely.
• MICROWAVE cola on HIGH 2 minutes or until boiling. Pour over gelatin in medium bowl. Stir gently 2 to 3 minutes until gelatin is dissolved and foam disappears. Stir in black cherry topping. Chill 10 to 15 minutes or until just slightly thickened.
• MEASURE 1 1/4 cups whipped topping in small bowl. Add 1/2 cup gelatin mixture, stirring until evenly blended. Spread over cooled pretzel crust. Chill 10 minutes. Spoon remaining gelatin mixture over whipped topping layer. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Top with remaining 1 cup whipped topping.

OLD-FASHIONED BLACK CHERRY COBBLER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• In mixing bowl, combine cherries, flour and sugar; toss to coat evenly.
• Place in 8" square pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly.
• Meanwhile, sift flour into bowl; add baking powder, soda, and salt; and cut in chilled butter with pastry blender or 2 knives. When pea-sized texture, add buttermilk -all at once- stir just to blend.
• DO NOT OVERMIX; dough will be tough.
• When cherries are finished baking, remove from oven, drop dough by large spoonsful over cherries, and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
• Return to oven for 25-30 minutes or until topping is done and golden brown.
• Serve hot or cool with whipped cream.

DARK CHOCOLATE & CHERRY BAR

Steps:

• Line a 20cm square baking tin with a strip of baking parchment - leave an overhang as this will help lift everything out of the tin later. Scatter the amaretti biscuits over the base of the tin and set aside.
• Tip the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour the cream into a saucepan. Bring the cream to the boil, then pour it over the chocolate and stir until completely melted. Pour the mixture over the biscuits, then tap the tin to even out. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hrs (or up to 2 days ahead).
• While the chocolate is setting, drain the cherries over a small saucepan and set them aside. Simmer the juice from the tin for about 5 mins or until syrupy. This can be done a day ahead and both can be kept in the fridge.
• To serve, use the parchment handles to lift everything out of the tin on to a board and, using a sharp knife dipped in hot water, cut into six neat bars. Using a pastry brush, paint a thick stripe of the kirsch syrup across each plate, then sit a chocolate bar across the stripe at an opposing angle. Top each bar with a line of cherries and serve with extra syrup on the side.