O My Ganache Cherry Macaroon Torte Food

MOCHA MACAROON TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut cookie dough in half crosswise. Cut each section in half lengthwise. Press dough in bottom of ungreased 10 or 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 12 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove partially baked crust from oven. Cool 10 minutes.
• While crust is cooling, beat cream cheese in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. Add coconut, 1/4 cup sugar, coffee and vanilla; blend well. Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Spoon and carefully spread mixture over crust. Sprinkle with all topping ingredients.
• Return to oven; bake an additional 30 to 45 minutes or until filling is set and edges are golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen; carefully remove sides of pan. Cool 1 hour. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled. If desired, serve with French vanilla ice cream, or frozen yogurt and chocolate-covered coffee beans. Store in refrigerator.

BROWNIE GANACHE TORTE

Steps:

• SPRAY bottom only of 10-inch springform pan with no-stick cooking spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, toffee bits, brown sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter in medium bowl with fork until crumbs are coated. Press in bottom of buttered pan.
• HEAT heavy cream in 1-quart saucepan over medium-low heat until hot. Stir in coffee. With wire whisk, stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from heat. Place 1/4 cup chocolate mixture in small microwave-safe bowl; set aside for drizzle. Pour and carefully spread remaining chocolate mixture over crust. Freeze 20 minutes.
• HEAT oven to 325 degrees F. Mix brownie mix, 6 tablespoons melted butter and water in large bowl; beat 50 strokes with spoon (mixture will be thick). In small bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed 1 to 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Add to brownie mixture; beat with electric mixer on low speed just until blended, about 30 seconds (batter will appear lumpy).
• REMOVE crust from freezer. Spread batter over chocolate layer. Sprinkle almonds evenly over top.
• BAKE 45 to 60 minutes or until center is puffed and set and edges are firm (middle will be soft). DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool on wire rack 2 hours.
• RUN knife around side of pan; remove side. Microwave reserved chocolate mixture on HIGH (100% power) 10 to 15 seconds until desired drizzling consistency; drizzle over torte. To serve at room temperature, cool an additional hour. Or refrigerate until serving time. Top individual servings with unsweetened whipped cream, if desired.
• Tip: To toast chopped almonds, spread on cookie sheet; bake at 325 degrees F. for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once, until light golden brown.

MASTER GANACHE

Steps:

• Using a serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces. Don't be lazy here. Big chunks will not melt.
• Traditional method: Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Boiling means the cream will actually rise up in the pan and threaten to boil over.
• Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl, and working out to the sides. Be careful not to add too much air to the ganache. Stir until all the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. It may look done after 1 minute of stirring, but keep going to be sure it's emulsified.
• Food processor method: Place the chopped chocolate in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat (or bring to a boil in the microwave.)
• Immediately pour the hot cream into the food processor, on top of the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then pulse the machine 3 times. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and pulse 3 more times, until all the chocolate is melted. This smooth, silky chocolate is now ganache. Transfer the ganache to a bowl.
• Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it cools to 70 degrees F. In a 65 degree F room, this will take approximately 4 hours or 2 hours in the refrigerator. You can speed up the process by pouring the ganache out onto a clean baking sheet (thinner layers cool faster.) Once the ganache reaches 70 degrees F, it is ready to be used. At this point it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.