Black Forest Preserves Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the cherries and sugar in a large, heavy, shallow, non-reactive saucepan.
• Set aside to plump, several hours or as long as overnight.
• Add the water to the cherries and bring to a boil.
• Cook for 5 minutes; then add the lemon juice and boil rather fast until the juice has thickened like jelly and a candy thermometer reads 221*F.
• Remove pan from heat and allow the preserves to sit overnight, covered; refrigerate them, if you'd rather.
• The next day, reheat the preserves to the boiling point and spoon them into hot, sterilized canning jars and seal.
• Store in the refrigerator, or (better) in the freezer.

Steps:

• Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
• In a bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir well.
• In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine cherries and lemon juice. Stir in cocoa mixture. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
• Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in Amaretto. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
• Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and add hot preserves if needed. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band tight.
• Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil, then process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray with cooking spray.
• Microwave 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted when stirred. Add butter, cake mix and 1 egg. Beat with mixer until crumbly.
• Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture for later use; press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.
• Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar in clean bowl with mixer until blended. Add remaining egg; mix well.
• Spread cream cheese mixture over crust; cover with pie filling. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
• Bake 35 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 30 min. Meanwhile, make curls from remaining chocolate. (See tip.)
• Cut dessert into 24 bars. Serve topped with the COOL WHIP and chocolate curls.

Steps:

• Make the waffle batter: Whisk the flour, confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, melted butter and coconut oil, egg yolks and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until combined (it's OK if a few lumps remain).
• In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, then fold in the mini chocolate chips. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the cherry sauce: Bring the cherries and their juice, preserves and maple syrup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Cook the waffles: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet. Preheat a waffle iron (preferable Belgian-style). Lightly brush the waffle iron with melted butter; pour in the batter, filling each compartment about three-quarters full. Close and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the waffles to the rack and keep warm in the oven. Repeat to make more waffles, brushing the waffle iron with more butter each time.
• Thin the cherry sauce with a splash of water, if necessary. Serve the waffles with whipped cream and the sauce.

Steps:

• Line 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with foil.
• Place first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl.
• Mix sugar, condensed milk, cherry preserves, whipping cream, 1/3 cup water and butter in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.
• Add dried cherries.
• Attach candy thermometer to side of pan.
• Increase heat to medium-high.
• Boil until thermometer registers 230°F, stirring constantly but slowly and tilting pan if necessary to submerge bulb of thermometer, about 17 minutes.
• 2. Immediately pour hot syrup over chocolate mixture in bowl (do not scrape pan).
• Using wooden spoon, stir vigorously until chocolate melts and fudge thickens slightly but still remains glossy, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer fudge to prepared pan; smooth top.
• Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
• Chill until firm, about 3 hours.
• 3. Lift fudge from pan, using foil as aid.
• Fold down foil.
• Trim edges of fudge.
• Cut fudge into 24 pieces. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container.)
• Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Line 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with foil. Place first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Mix sugar, condensed milk, cherry preserves, whipping cream, 1/3 cup water and butter in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals. Add dried cherries. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil until thermometer registers 230°F, stirring constantly but slowly and tilting pan if necessary to submerge bulb of thermometer, about 17 minutes.
• Immediately pour hot syrup over chocolate mixture in bowl (do not scrape pan). Using wooden spoon, stir vigorously until chocolate melts and fudge thickens slightly but still remains glossy, about 3 minutes. Transfer fudge to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Chill until firm, about 3 hours.
• Lift fudge from pan, using foil as aid. Fold down foil. Trim edges of fudge. Cut fudge into 24 pieces. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container.) Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• For brownie:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Place pan on baking sheet. Combine cherries and 1/4 cup water in small saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until liquid almost evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add kirsch and boil 1 minute. Standing back, carefully ignite kirsch. When flames subside, mix in preserves. Cook until preserves boil and thicken, about 3 minutes. Cool.
• Whisk flour, cocoa, pepper, and salt in small bowl to blend. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat; mix in 1/2 cup sugar. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, remaining 1 cup sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Using spatula, mix in melted chocolate mixture. Fold flour mixture into batter. Fold cherry mixture and chocolate chips into batter.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top is dry and slightly cracked and tester inserted into center of brownie comes out with some moist (not wet) batter attached, about 55 minutes. Cool brownie in pan on rack 15 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides and cool cake completely. Replace sides of pan. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For mousse:
• Puree cherry preserves in processor until smooth. Transfer to small resealable plastic bag.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in medium bowl until very smooth. Reduce speed to low. Beat in mascarpone just until smooth. Add cream and beat just until blended and still soft (do not overbeat). Immediately spread mousse evenly over brownie. Cut off enough of 1 corner of plastic bag with preserves to make 1/8-inch opening. Pipe preserves in parallel lines across mousse, spacing 1 inch apart. Starting 1 inch in from 1 side, drag tip of toothpick across lines in 1 direction. Repeat in opposite direction, 1 inch from first line. Continue, alternating direction every time to form chevron pattern. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Cut around pan sides, then remove sides. Let torte stand 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• For cherry filling, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in the 2 tablespoons water. Add cherries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-1/2 teaspoons cherry liqueur or brandy. Cover surface with plastic wrap; cool.
• For cake, grease and lightly flour a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a small mixing bowl; set aside. Beat egg yolks and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add the 1/3 cup granulated sugar, beating on high speed until sugar is almost dissolved.
• Wash beaters thoroughly. Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture. Sprinkle flour mixture over egg mixture; fold in gently just until combined. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
• Bake in a 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan; turn cake out onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll towel and cake into a spiral, starting from a long edge. Cool on a wire rack.
• For chocolate buttercream: Stir together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a heavy small saucepan. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat. Gradually stir about half of the sugar mixture into 2 slightly beaten egg yolks. Return all of the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat (mixture may look curdled but will become smooth). Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Add 1-1/2 teaspoons cherry liqueur or cherry brandy, if desired. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Beat unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add cooled egg yolk mixture and melted chocolate, beating until combined. If necessary, chill until mixture is of spreading consistency.
• To assemble, unroll cake. Spread cake with chocolate buttercream to within 1/2 inch of edges. Spread cherry filling lengthwise over buttercream layer in a 1-1/2-inch-wide band, starting 1/2 inch from a long edge. Roll up cake without the towel, starting with long edge closest to filling. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.
• To serve, cut cake roll into 1-inch-thick slices. Garnish slices with chocolate curls, if desired. Makes 15 servings.
• Make-ahead tip: Bake, roll, and cool cake as directed. Place cake, with towel, in large airtight container or wrap well with foil. Chill up to 24 hours. Let stand about 30 minutes at room temperature before unrolling and filling.