Chocolateapricotpassovertorte Recipes

Steps:

• For the crust: Combine the flour, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor and blend until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour in the vodka and 1 tablespoon water and pulse until the dough just comes together in a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a disc and refrigerate until slightly firm, about 20 minutes.
• Turn the dough out into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Top with a piece of plastic wrap and press the dough out evenly through the plastic wrap on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the dough lightly with a fork, and then line the crust with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights, beans or rice. Bake until the crust sets, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans and then return to the oven until the crust turns a rich golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool.
• For the apricot and chocolate filling: Combine the apricots, brandy and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes, and then set aside to plump.
• 5. Put the chocolates in a medium bowl. Heat the half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a separate medium bowl, and then gradually whisk in the heated cream. Pour back into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, over medium-low heat until thick, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the chocolate, let set for 5 minutes, and then whisk in the butter until very smooth.
• Blend the apricots and their liquid with the vanilla in a mini food processor until very smooth. Spread 3/4 cup of the mixture over the bottom of the crust. Top with the chocolate mixture. Cover loosely and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours or up to overnight.
• Meanwhile, whip the cream until it barely holds soft peaks. Whisk in the remaining apricot mixture to make a smooth thick cream. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, pipe or spoon small dollops of the cream around the edge of the crust.

Steps:

• Beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl until thickened.
• Beat egg whites in a small bowl until foamy; gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into yolk mixture.
• Gradually fold in flour.
• Divide batter between 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden.
• Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool.
• BUTTERCREAM:Whisk sugar,eggs, yolks, vanilla and coffee in a saucepan.
• Add chocolate; cook and stir over low heat until thickened (be careful not to let it boil).
• Cool completely.
• Cream butter in a medium bowl;gradually add chocolate mixture and set aside.
• Finely chop the apricots; drain and place in a bowl.
• Stir in preserves and set aside.
• Split each of the cakes into two horizontal layers.
• Place one on a serving plate.
• Spread with 2/3 cup buttercream.
• Top with another cake layer and 2/3 cup apricot filling.
• Repeat these layers twice.
• Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
• Garnish with choclate curls before serving if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with foil. Grease foil.
• Melt margarine and chocolate over low heat. Stir until smooth and let cool.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat whites until stiff; about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat together yolks and sugar until thick and pale; about 1 minute. Blend in chocolate mixture and stir in almonds. Fold in beaten whites, 1/3 at a time, into chocolate until no streaks of white remain. Scrape into prepared pan.
• Place an 8 inch baking pan with 1 inch of water in it on the bottom rack of the oven (to make the torte more moist).
• Bake torte on center rack at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from pan and top is set in center. Cover the torte loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. Note: Don't worry if the cake cracks because the top will be on the bottom later.
• Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes and then carefully remove sides of pan. Invert onto a serving plate and cool completely.

Steps:

• Remove odd pots and pans from oven.
• Preheat oven to 350º / 180º.
• Cream together butter and sugar.
• Add eggs and crushed bananas.
• Combine well.
• Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla.
• Mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.
• Bake at 350º / 180º for 55 minutes.
• Keeps well, refrigerated.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, whisk eggs; set aside. In another bowl, combine chocolate, butter and vanilla. In a heavy-bottomed pot (to prevent burning), combine milk with 1/2 cup sugar and salt over medium heat; whisk constantly until mixture comes to a simmer. Remove pot from heat. Whisk milk mixture into eggs until combined. Whisk chocolate-butter mixture into milk-egg mixture; spoon custard into piecrust. Bake pie until it begins to set at edges but center jiggles slightly when you shake pan, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove pie from oven; let cool for at least 3 hours. In a bowl, 10 minutes prior to serving, toss apricots with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar; arrange apricots on top of pie.

Steps:

• Make apricot filling:
• In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan combine apricots, granulated sugar, and water and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove lid and simmer mixture, stirring and mashing apricots, until excess liquid is evaporated and filling is thickened. Stir in vanilla.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. and grease and flour an 8-inch-square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
• Make chocolate chip mixture:
• In a shallow baking pan toast pecans in middle of oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, and cool. In a food processor pulse pecans, flour, brown sugar, and salt until pecans are coarsely chopped. Add chocolate chips and butter and pulse until pecan mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Press about half of chocolate chip mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan and spread evenly with apricot filling. Crumble remaining chocolate chip mixture evenly over apricot filling, pressing it down slightly, and bake confection in middle of oven 1 hour, or until golden. Cool confection completely in pan on a rack. Sprinkle confection with confectioners' sugar and cut into 16 bars.

Steps:

• PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME:.
• Pulse the apricots, sugar, and cornstarch in a food processor to chop the fruit into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Add the chocolate and continue to pulse 2 to 3 times for three seconds each or until the chocolate is broken into small 1/2-inch pieces.
• Set aside to combine with the other dry ingredients.
• INSTRUCTIONS:.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Set the rack in the middle of the oven.
• Sift the flour directly into a bowl.
• Measure the other dry ingredients into a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, and whisk for 10 seconds to blend; set aside.
• Measure the liquid ingredients into a separate bowl, whisk to combine, and set aside.
• Measure the butter and sugar into separate bowls and set aside.
• Crack the eggs into a small bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 3 to 4 minutes.
• With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition.
• Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Add the dry ingredient mixture alternately with the liquid mixture in 3 to 5 additions each, beginning and ending with the dry mixture.
• Move swiftly through this step to avoid overworking the batter.
• Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl all the way down.
• Don't miss the clumps of ingredients hiding on the bottom of the bowl.
• Mix on medium speed for 25 to 30 seconds to develop the batter's structure.
• Spray the pan well with a nonstick spray.
• Fill the bundt pan about three-quarters full by depositing the batter with the rubber spatula in small clumps around the prepared pan instead of by pouring it into one spot.
• Level the batter with the rubber spatula and bake 45-50 minutes
• Once the edges of the cake are browning and the surface appears dry, test for doneness by inserting a bamboo skewer in the center of the cake; when the skewer shows some crumbs - the cake is done.
• Remove the pan from the oven and place on a heat-resistant surface or wire rack.
• Once the cake has cooled for 5 to 10 minutes, remove the cake by inverting the pan onto a flat surface.
• Allow it to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, before glazing.
• Store under a cake dome at room temperature, or wrapped in plastic in the fridge for up to 1 week.
• **Alcohol-free variation: Omit the amaretto and vanilla. Add the seeds of 1 vanilla pod to butter and 1 tablespoon alcohol-free almond extract.
• GLAZE:.
• Heat the apricot jam or preserves and water (if using) in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid (melted).
• Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps. (If using, add the liqueur at this point.)
• Drizzle the apricot preserves along the sides and then in the center of the cake.
• Glaze makes enough for an 8 or 9 inch cake.

Steps:

• Combine chocolate, sugar, water, and coffee in saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
• Blend in vanilla; allow to cool to room temperature.
• Prepare piecrust according to package directions, omitting water.
• Blend 3/4 of the chocolate mixture unto piecrust mix; divide into six equal parts.
• Press each part unto the bottom of an inverted 8" round pan to within 1/2" of edge.
• Bake at 425 degrees for 5-8 minutes.
• While layers are still warm, trim to even edges if desired.
• Let cool; then run the tip of a knife under edges to loosen.
• Lift carefully, transfer to wire cake rack.
• Whip cream to soft peak stage; fold in remaining chocolate sauce.
• Spread chocolate cream between layers and over top.
• Chill overnight or at least for 8 hours.
• Top w/ chopped nuts and/or chocolate curls.
• Makes 9-12 servings depending on how many chocolate lovers you're serving!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
• Place the phyllo cups on the baking sheet. Add about 1/4 teaspoon apricot preserves to each cup, followed by 1/4 teaspoon mini chocolate chips; set aside.
• Combine pecans, brown sugar, half-and-half, honey, and rum extract in a small mixing bowl. Stir well. Distribute the pecan mixture equally among the phyllo cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges start to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• For sponge:
• Boil apricot nectar in heavy medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour reduced nectar into large bowl. Cool to 120°F. to 125°F. Whisk in flour, sugar, milk powder and yeast. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area until double in volume, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare dough:
• Generously butter 12-cup kugelhupf pan. Using electric mixer, cream butter with sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs and egg yolks 1 at a time. Beat in apricot brandy, salt, vanilla and ginger. Combine yeast and 2 tablespoons hot water in small bowl and stir until yeast dissolves. Mix yeast mixture and sponge into butter mixture. Gradually mix in 3 cups flour. Combine chocolate, apricots, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Mix into dough.
• Spoon dough into prepared pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and clean kitchen towel. Let stand in warm draft-free area until dough rises just to top of pan, about 3 hours.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Bake kugelhupf until deep brown and cracking on top and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 48 minutes. Cool on rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Return to pan, cover tightly and store at room temperature.)
• For whipped cream:
• Stir chocolate and 2 tablespoons cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool. Beat remaining 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add brandy and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Pour chocolate mixture over cream and fold together until whipped cream is lightly streaked with chocolate. Transfer to serving bowl; chill. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead.)
• Place kugelhupf on platter. Lightly sift powdered sugar over. Cut into wedges. Serve, passing whipped cream separately if desired.