Black Forest Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust the bottoms and sides of the pans with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
• Put the eggs (in their shells) in a medium bowl and cover with hot tap water; let stand 5 minutes (warming the eggs will help them whip better). Sift the cocoa powder, cake flour and salt into a medium bowl, then whisk in the almond flour; set aside.
• Remove the eggs from the water and crack into a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar and beat with a mixer on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until pale, fluffy and thick, about 10 minutes. The mixture should fall off the beaters in a ribbon when lifted.
• Sprinkle one-third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold with a whisk until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture in two batches, adding the vanilla with the final addition. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Immediately run a small offset spatula around the edges to loosen. Let the cakes cool 5 minutes in the pans, then remove to a rack, parchment-side down, and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan (the cornstarch will help stabilize the whipped cream). Slowly add 3/4 cup heavy cream, whisking, until a paste forms. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring, until thick and bubbling, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring the cherries, cherry syrup, kirsch and granulated sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the almond extract and transfer to a bowl. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Finish the whipped cream: Beat the remaining 2 1/4 cups cold heavy cream and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the cooked cream mixture and beat until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Drain the cherries and reserve the syrup. Discard the parchment from the cakes. Trim a thin layer off the top of each cake with a long serrated knife. Put one cake cut-side up on a cake stand or serving plate and brush with half of the reserved syrup. Spread about 1 cup whipped cream over the top in a thin layer, then top with all but 1/4 cup cherries. Spread 1 cup whipped cream over the cherries in a thin layer. Top with the remaining cake and brush with the remaining syrup. Spread 1 1/2 cups whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer (some crumbs are OK). Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Sprinkle the shaved chocolate around the top of the cake and press into the sides; top with the reserved cherries. Refrigerate overnight; the cake will soak up the syrup.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• For the pistachio creme brulee: Put the egg yolks in a medium heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream and sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. At the boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks. Mix the pistachio paste into the hot cream/yolk mixture, blending thoroughly. Strain the mixture.
• Pour the creme brulee mixture into a 9-inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan or baking dish and carefully pour hot water into the pan around it, halfway up the sides of the cake pan, to make a water bath. Bake until set and no longer liquid in the center, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check by jiggling the pan very gently; the creme brulee should tremble just slightly. Remove the roasting pan from the oven (but leave the oven on for the cheesecake), remove the cake pan from the water bath, cool the brulee to room temperature and then refrigerate for several hours until cold.
• For the mascarpone cheesecake: In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add the mascarpone and beat until smooth. Beat in the whole eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and beater between additions. Beat in the egg yolks, followed by the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture into a 9-inch cake pan. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan or baking dish and carefully pour hot water into the pan around it, halfway up the sides of the cake pan, to make a water bath. Bake until the cheesecake is set and no longer liquid in the center, 30 to 45 minutes. Check by jiggling the pan very gently; the cheesecake should tremble just slightly. Turn off the oven and leave the door open. Cool the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate until firm--preferably overnight.
• For the chocolate tree trunks: Cut the 3-foot wooden dowel into twelve 3-inch lengths. Cut twelve 3-inch squares of aluminum foil. Lay a piece of dowel parallel to one of the edges of a foil square and roll the foil around the dowel. Repeat with the remaining dowels and foil.
• Cut twelve 8-inch squares of plastic wrap. Hold a foil-wrapped dowel by one end. Place the opposite end of the dowel in the center of a square of plastic wrap. Hold the dowel and plastic wrap up so that the plastic drapes over the dowel. Gather the corners of the plastic wrap to enclose the dowel in the plastic. There will be a lot of wrinkles in the plastic. This will give texture to the tree trunks. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap together, or secure the ends of the plastic wrap with tape. Repeat with the remaining dowels and plastic.
• To temper the chocolate, melt 24 ounces of the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water fitted with a digital or chocolate tempering thermometer. Heat to 115 to 120 degrees F.
• Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and add the remaining 8 ounces of chocolate. Stir until all the added chocolate has melted. The temperature of the chocolate should be below 86 degrees F. If not, allow the chocolate to continue to cool, stirring frequently, until it reaches 85 to 86 degrees F.
• Place the bowl of chocolate over the simmering water again and reheat for a few seconds at a time, stirring well, until the temperature has risen to 87 to 91 degrees F. (Do not allow the temperature of the chocolate to exceed 91 degrees F, or you will have to repeat the procedure from the beginning.) Wipe any moisture from the underside of the bowl before proceeding.
• Use a pastry brush to brush a coating of tempered chocolate onto the bottoms and up the sides of each dowel. Stand the dowels upright on a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil and allow to stand until the chocolate is just set. Apply a second coating of tempered chocolate for added strength. Set aside for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to unmold, place the chocolate-coated dowels in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. Undo the plastic wrap and remove the dowel from each. Hold each tree trunk securely in one hand (wear gloves to avoid fingerprints) and carefully remove the plastic wrap from the insides of the tree trunks.
• To assemble: Place the pistachio creme brulee mixture into a disposable pastry bag and snip a small opening. Pipe about a tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each hollow tree trunk.
• Use a spoon to scrape off the top skin of the cheesecake and carefully scoop the soft cheesecake center into a disposable pastry bag and snip a medium-sized opening. Pipe the cheesecake mixture on top of the pistachio creme brulee in the hollow tree trunks, filling as full as desired.
• Garnish each with a maraschino cherry and chopped toasted nuts if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, almond extract, cherry pie filling and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool.
• To Make Glaze: Heat 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, butter or margarine, and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once semisweet chocolate chips are melted and mixture is combined stir in confectioners' sugar.
• Spread glaze over cooled cake. Serve cake as is or with whipped cream and a cherry.

Steps:

• Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter and whisk well; combine flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt and add to wet mixture; whisk thoroughly or beat with an immersion blender until smooth; cover batter and refrigerate for one to two hours.
• Remove batter from refrigerator and stir; you may, if necessary, thin batter by adding a little additional milk or you may thicken it by adding a bit of flour; heat a non-stick skillet (I recommend a 10" omelette pan) to medium-high heat and add 1/2 teaspoon butter to it.
• Pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet and tilt so that a thin layer of batter coats the pan bottom in an 8-inch circle; cook crepe for 30-60 seconds until it appears dry and is just beginning to brown at edges; carefully loosen edges and turn crepe over; cook second side for another 30-60 seconds.
• Continue cooking crepes, adding 1/2 teaspoon butter to the skillet before each one; stack finished crepes with waxed paper between them ~ You may refrigerate or freeze them for later use or serve immediately.
• To serve, place 2-3 tablespoons cherry pie filling across center of each crepe and roll tightly or fold crepe into quarters; place 2 filled crepes on each serving plate; garnish crepes with your choice of sweetened whipped cream, additional cherry pie filling, chocolate or cherry syrup, chocolate curls, and mint sprigs.
• NOTE: When garnishing my crepes I did not use chocolate syrup, but instead spooned a little cherry pie filling (no whole cherries) into a small plastic ziploc bag, snipped off its corner, and gently squeezed the filling through and onto my crepes.

Steps:

• Trim fat from meat and place in crockpot.
• In small bowl, combine all ingredients except cornstarch& water.
• Pour mixture over meat.
• Cover, cook on low 8 hours.
• Remove meat, slice and keep warm.
• Turn crockpot on high, dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into crockpot.
• Cover and cook on high 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.
• Serve sauce with meat.