Double Chocolate Cherry Torte Food

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-CHERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. In 3-quart saucepan, melt semisweet chocolate and butter over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Cool 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until about triple in volume. Using rubber spatula, fold eggs into cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into springform pan.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edge is set but center is still soft and jiggles slightly when moved. Cool completely in pan, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Then cover and refrigerate 1 hour 30 minutes.
• In medium microwavable bowl, place white chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the whipping cream. Microwave uncovered on High 20 to 40 seconds, stirring after 20 seconds, until chocolate is melted. Stir until well blended. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in white chocolate mixture until smooth. Add 1 cup of the pie filling; beat on medium speed until well blended and cherries are broken up.
• In chilled medium bowl, beat remaining whipping cream and almond extract on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in cherry-chocolate mixture until well blended. Spread over semisweet chocolate layer. Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 48 hours.
• In small bowl, stir remaining pie filling and liqueur until well blended. Remove side of pan. Cut torte into wedges; place on individual dessert plates. Top individual servings with cherry sauce.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for fudge-like brownies. Spread batter in a greased and floured 9-in. round baking pan. , Bake at 350° for 38-42 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate; cool completely. , In a bowl, stir the chocolate and butter until smooth. Spread over brownie layer; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Just before serving, top with whipped topping. Decorate with sprinkle.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-CHERRY SCONES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Whisk together 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir cream mixture into flour mixture with a spatula until there are large clumps. Mix in cherry pie filling. Press the dough gently and lightly into a ball, being careful not to overmix.
• Place dough onto a large cutting board and press into a disc that is approximately 1-inch thick and 10 inches in diameter. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Rotate the baking sheet and bake until the scones have a crispy crust with a light, moist interior and the edges look dry, about 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and cool for 15 minutes.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour 2 x 9" round pan.
• Combine sour cream, cocoa and water, blend well (set aside).
• Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into bowl (set aside).
• In a large bowl beat butter and sugar on medium high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Lower speed and add vanilla and almond extracts, add eggs one at a time, blend well.
• Add flour 3 times to butter mixture, alternating 2 times with milk mixture-- starting and ending with flour.
• Mix well.
• Pour batter evenly into both pans and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20- 25 minutes.
• Cool on racks for 20 minutes before removing pans.
• Cool completely before frosting.
• Beat whipping cream with icing sugar until stiff but not dry.
• Place one cake on platter, frost with 1 cup whipped cream to 1/2" from edge of cake, sprinkle white chocolate chips on top of whipped cream and top with the chopped and drained cherries.
• Put 2nd cake overtop of first cake and frost the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream.
• You can add chocolate curls or marashino cherries to decorate if desired.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl. In a bowl of an electric mixer, or with a handheld mixer, combine butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and wine and combine. Slowly in batches add the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate and cherries. On a nonstick cookie sheet, place a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are still soft looking but edges look firm.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325° F. and butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a bowl stir together cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, and kirsch and macerate 15 minutes.
• Cut butter into pieces and separate eggs. Coarsely chop bittersweet chocolate and in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring occasionally. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and cool mixture slightly. Stir in yolks, flour, and salt until combined well. Gently stir in cherries and chocolate chips until just combined.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold soft peaks and gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until whites just hold stiff glossy peaks. Stir half of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake torte in middle of oven 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering.
• Cool torte in pan on a rack (top will fall slightly and crack). Run a thin knife around edge of torte and remove side of pan. Torte may be made 1 day ahead and kept, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at cool room temperature.
• Serve torte with whipped cream.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-CHERRY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in milk and vanilla.
• Gradually add flour mixture and stir until dough is just combined. Fold in white chocolate chips and cherries. Scoop about 1/4 cup dough per cookie 3 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of cookies are set and the tops lose their sheen, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheets briefly before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, milk, almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center and surface is no longer shiny. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; place on cooling rack.

SOUR CHERRY CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, butter a 9" spring-form pan dust with ground almonds (or fine, dry unseasoned bread crumbs), shake out extra, set aside.
• Drain cherries, then spread in a single layer on several thicknesses of paper towel, while you continue to prepare the torte.
• Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave, watch carefully, don't allow any water to get in the chocolate or it will seize.
• Cream the butter, add extracts and sugar, beat well; add eggs one at a time beating after each until mixed.
• On low add chocolate, beat until mixed, add almonds, then flour mixing just until incorporated.
• Spread about half or a little more of the batter into the pan (it is thick, using an offset spatula helps) place cherries one at a time over batter in a single layer, they can touch the sides, spoon and spread the remaining batter over the cherries, going slow helps prevent pull up.
• Bake 45 -50 minutes, the cake will be dry and crusty on top and a toothpick will come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes on a rack, then remove sides of the pan, let stand until almost cool ( to serve warm this is about 30 minutes).
• To remove bottom of the pan - cover cake with a rack and flip over, remove pan bottom - you may need to slip a thin spatula between the torte and pan bottom to loosen, cover cake with serving plate and flip back over ( I've been know to serve from the pan bottom, just keep your thin spatula handy).
• Note: Almonds should be finely ground in a blender or food processor, they should be almost powdery). Almond meal or almond flour (fancy names for ground almonds) can be found in some health food stores or at Trader Joes, though it can be very pricey under some labels. I prefer the freshness of grinding the almonds myself.
• Use real whipping cream unless you have dairy issues; a little kirsch added as you whip it is a nice touch.