Blackforestmocha Recipes

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides; coat with cooking spray. Whisk the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, almond flour and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low; beat in the flour mixture until combined.
• Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish in a thin layer with damp hands. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the chocolate layer is set, 25 to 30 minutes; let cool completely in the pan.
• Meanwhile, combine the jam, dried cherries, lemon juice, cornstarch, almond extract and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the dried cherries soften and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Spread over the chocolate layer and let cool completely.
• Lift the bars out of the pan using the foil. Put the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth; drizzle on the bars. Let stand until the chocolate sets, then cut into squares.

Steps:

• In large mug, stir together coffee, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, cream and cherry juice. Garnish with whipped cream and cherry, if desired. Serve immediately.

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:

• Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glass (or divide between two glasses) and top with optional toppings if desired. I like adding a chocolate syrup rim - just drizzle a bit of chocolate syrup onto a small plate and dip in the rim of the glass. Plop in a straw and serve!