Chocolate Kirsch Torte With Tart Cherrycranberry Filling Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Set aside 1/4 cup crushed cookies for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining cookies and butter; spread into a 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Set aside. , In a large bowl, combine the whipped topping mixes, milk and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended. Beat on high for 4 minutes or until thickened and stiff peaks form. Add cream cheese; beat until smooth. , Spread over crust; top with pie filling. Sprinkle with reserved cookies. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours before serving.

CHOCOLATE TORTE WITH RASPBERRY FILLING

Steps:

• Prepare the cake according to package directions. Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Combine milk and pudding mix; beat into cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and raspberries. , Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake; dust with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with mint and raspberries if desired. Store in the refrigerator.

CRANBERRY-CHOCOLATE TART

Steps:

• For cranberry topping:
• Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until softened, 15 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup cranberry juice, cranberries, and next 5 ingredients in medium saucepan; bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until cranberries are tender but still plump, 5 minutes. Strain into bowl; set cranberries aside. Add gelatin mixture to hot juice in bowl; stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir cranberries back into juice. Chill until cranberry mixture is cold and slightly thickened, at least 8 hours or overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
• Stir chopped crystallized ginger into cranberry mixture.
• For crust:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine chocolate wafer cookie crumbs, sugar, and salt in medium bowl; add 5 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter if mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake chocolate crust until beginning to set and slightly crisp, pressing with spoon if crust puffs during baking, about 14 minutes. Transfer tart pan to rack and cool crust completely before filling.
• For mascarpone filling:
• Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients except ginger in medium bowl just until thick enough to spread (do not overbeat or mixture may curdle). Spread filling in cooled crust. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Spoon cranberry mixture evenly over mascarpone filling. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Garnish with crystallized ginger strips, if desired. Cut tart into wedges and serve cold.
• *An Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY TART

Steps:

• For fruit:
• Stir 1/2 cup water and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to boil. Add cherries. Remove mixture from heat; cool 30 minutes. Mix in kirsch. Cover and refrigerate 1 day.
• For crust:
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift flour, cocoa, and salt over; beat to blend. Using moistened fingertips, press dough over bottom and up sides of 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• For filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain cherries, reserving cherry syrup. Sprinkle cherries in crust. Combine eggs, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt in large bowl. Add sugar and 1/4 cup cherry syrup; beat to blend. Mix in chocolate. Pour filling into crust.
• Bake tart until set in center, about 1 hour. Cool on rack 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.) Release tart from pan. Dust with powdered sugar and cocoa. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE KIRSCH TORTE WITH TART CHERRY/CRANBERRY FILLING

Steps:

• Preparation of Cherry/ Cranberry filling: (Can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated.)
• Drain cherries reserving cherry juice. Combine sugar, cornstarch and (2/3 cup) cherry juice in a 2-quart saucepan.
• Heat mixture until it comes to a full boil. Add cranberries. Let mixture simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until cranberries spilt open.
• Add cherries and Kirsch and heat just until mixture returns to a boil. Pour mixture into a covered bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled.
• Preparation of Cake:
• Let butter and eggs come to room temperature (20-30 minutes). Preheat oven to 350°F
• Prepare three round 9" x 1½" cake pans; lightly butter the sides and line bottoms with parchment paper.
• Cream butter. Add sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk.
• Mix until well blended but do not over mix.
• Divide batter evenly between 3 prepared pans. Bake 30 minutes or until top springs back when gently pressed and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans to a wire rack, peel off parchment paper and cool completely before assembling cake.
• Preparation of the Whipped Cream filling: (prepare just before the cake is to be assembled.)
• Combine gelatin and Kirsch in a small custard cup and let stand about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
• Place the custard cup in a small pan of warm water and gently heat mixture over low heat, stirring until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat. Beat the cream in a chilled bowl until it holds soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and beat until it holds stiff peaks. Add in the gelatin mixture gradually beating until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
• Preparation of Chocolate Icing: (Prepare after the rest of the cake is assembled and use immediately.)
• Cream butter. Whisk together sugar and cocoa. Add sugar mixture alternating with Kirsch.
• Beat mixture until fluffy adding only enough milk to make a thick spread-able icing.
• Assembling the cake:
• Place one layer, bottom side up, on a platter.
• Spoon half the cherry/berry mixture onto the layer and allow the layer to absorb the syrup. Then cover with half the whipped cream mixture.
• Place the second layer, also bottom side up, on top of the first layer. Cover with remaining cherry/ berry mixture (reserving about 5 cherries for garnishing the top of the cake.)
• Top with the remaining whipped cream mixture.
• Add third cake layer. Spread chocolate butter icing in the top of the third layer. Garnish with reserved cherries.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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.

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.