Dark Chocolate Cherry Ganache Bars Food

DARK CHOCOLATE-CHERRY GANACHE BARS

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and fine sea salt. Pulse in the butter and vanilla until the mixture just comes together into a smooth mass. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or wax paper. Press the dough into the pan. Prick all over with a fork. Chill for at least 20 minutes and up to 3 days.
• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the shortbread until firm to the touch and just beginning to pull away from the sides, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Cool in the pan for 20 minutes on a wire rack. Brush jam over shortbread's surface and let cool thoroughly.
• Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the kirsch. Spread over shortbread. Sprinkle fleur de sel on. Cool to room temperature; cover and chill until firm. Slice and serve.

BIG SLAB BROWNIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 26-by-18-by-1-inch baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang over the sides. Spray the parchment with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
• In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then the vanilla extract until completely incorporated. Add the flour mixture a cup at a time and beat until combined.
• Remove the bowl from the stand and use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and cherries. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Pour the Chocolate Ganache over the brownies and let cool. Cut into 32 rectangle-shaped cookie bars.
• Put the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, about 3 minutes. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Heat the heavy cream and the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
• CHOCOLATE MINT XXX'S
• The fantasy begins by placing the chopped chocolates in a medium-size bowl. Heat the cream, sugar, and chopped mint in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar; bring to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream through a medium-gauge strainer into the bowl of chopped chocolate. Discard the mint. Use a whisk to gently stir until the cream and chocolate come together in a smooth and glistening pool. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet with sides and use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate to the edges. Refrigerate for 40 minutes remove the chocolate mint mixture from the refrigerator and transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Line a clean baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the mint leaves on the baking sheet. Form the kisses by piping about 1 tablespoon of chocolate mint mixture onto each leaf, creating a spiral conical shape, about 1- inch high for each kiss Refrigerate the kisses for 30 minutes until firm. Store the kisses, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a hour remove the chocolate mint mixture from the refrigerator and transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Line a clean baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the mint leaves on the baking sheet. Form the kisses by piping about 1 tablespoon of chocolate mint mixture onto each leaf, creating a spiral conical shape, about 1- inch high for each kiss. Refrigerate the kisses for 30 minutes until firm. Store the kisses, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHERRY BROWNIES WITH GANACHE AND SEA SALT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
• In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and all the butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla bean paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt; whisk until combined, then pour in the warm chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the flour, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon just until combined. Fold in the 2 cups pitted cherries.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a crust forms on top a toothpick comes out almost clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Once cooled, lift the brownies by the foil out of the pan, and transfer to a cutting board.
• To make the ganache, place the remaining 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate in a bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a saucepan; over medium low heat bring the cream to a gentle simmer just until it starts to bubble. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir with a spatula until smooth. Pour over the cooled brownies and smooth out the top.
• Before the ganache sets, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt over the ganache, then garnish with whole cherries. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until the ganache is set (you can refrigerate them to speed up the process), then cut into squares.

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.