Date Dried Cherry And Chocolate Torte Recipes

Steps:

• Place dates and 1 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl. Stir in boiling water; cool completely. , In another large bowl, cream shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat in egg. Combine the flour, salt and remaining baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with date mixture., Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar; top with chocolate chips and nuts. , Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine dates, cherries, and baking soda in a heatproof bowl, then stir in boiling water and brandy.
• Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.
• Beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until just combined. Beat in vanilla and zest. Add half of flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Add date mixture with liquid and beat at low speed until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate and pecans.
• Pour batter into a generously buttered 24-cm (9-inch) springform pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven until center is slightly rounded and top of torte is cracked (edges will be dark brown), about 55 minutes. Let torte stand 5 minutes in pan on a rack. Run a sharp small knife around side of pan to loosen, then remove side. Cool torte on rack.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nine-inch tube pan.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside. Place the cherries in a dish, stir in the cherry liqueur and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing only enough to combine the ingredients.
• Add the almond extract to the cherry mixture, then fold this mixture into the batter.
• Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and continue to cool on a rack.

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper.
• In a food processor, combine the dates, almond butter, and coconut oil. Process until well combined, about 30 seconds.
• Add the puffed rice, cherries, and almonds and pulse 5-6 times-just enough so that everything is well incorporated.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer about ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) thick. Freeze for 15 minutes, until set.
• Meanwhile, pour the water into a small saucepan. Place a heatproof glass or metal bowl over the saucepan, making sure the water is not touching the bottom. Bring the water to a simmer, then add the chocolate to the warm bowl and let it melt, stirring slowly. Remove the bowl from the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the date and cherry mixture and spread evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Return the pan to the freezer for another 20 minutes.
• Once set, cut into 16 bars.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• For the sorbet, whizz the compote with the sugar until smooth-ish, then tip into a freezer-proof container. Freeze until solid.
• Mix the cherries and the brandy and leave to soak for a few hrs.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line the base of a round, 20cm loosebottomed tin with baking parchment. Mix the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder, bicarb and xanthan gum in a big bowl. Whisk the oil, rice milk and agave syrup, then add to the dry ingredients and stir in with a wooden spoon. Add the cherries and any brandy, then scrape into the tin. Bake for 35-45 mins until crisp on top but fudgy in the centre. Cool in the tin.
• Carefully lift the torte onto a serving plate. Dust with cocoa and icing sugar, and serve with the cherry sorbet.

Steps:

• Brush the base and sides of a 20cm (8in) tin with butter. Line the base with greasproof paper, butter it.
• Preheat your oven to 180-190c (350-375f).
• Base:.
• Beat the egg yolks with the caster sugar until thick and pale. Sift in the cocoa and cinnamon and add the essences.
• Seperately, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks, then fold them in a third at a time.
• Place this mixture in the prepared tin, smoothing it over gently and evenly.
• Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes of until firm to touch on top.
• The outside rim of the cake will be higher than inside. This cavity is what you're going to fill with cream and cherries.
• Filling:.
• Place the cherries, 1 tablespoon sugar and water in a pan and cook for 5 minutes only or until just softened.
• Leave to cool and remove the pips. Spread the cherries on some paper towel to drain well.
• Whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks.
• Add the icing sugar, vanilla and Kirsh and whip again until stiff. Fold in the grated chocolate and chill the mixture.
• Keep this cream chiled until ready to assemble the ckae.
• To assemble:.
• Place a layer of cream over and around the cavity. Arrange cherries over the top of the cream.
• Keep chilled until serving time.

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.