Sweetheart Torte Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioners' sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed.
• Using a round cookie cutter the same diameter as the top of the muffin tin cups (about 2 inches), cut 36 rounds of dough. Gently press a dough round into each muffin cup and press evenly into the sides and bottom of the cup. Continue with remaining dough rounds. Bake until set and edges are light golden, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool in the pan completely before removing with a small offset spatula.
• Heat the jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the cherries and stir gently to coat completely. With a small teaspoon, transfer a cherry into each tart shell and drizzle with a little more warm jam. Allow to cool and set.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk; mix well. Stir in the flour by hand. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. , Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indention in the center of each. Fill each with 1/4 teaspoon preserves. , Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Dust warm cookies with confectioners' sugar if desired. Cool.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with baking parchment.
• Torte:
• In a mixing bowl, cream the unsalted margarine or butter with the 1/3 cup sugar. Blend in the egg yolks, then the mashed sweet potatoes, rum extract (if using), and cooled chocolate.
• In another bowl, with clean beaters, whip the egg whites gently until they are a bit foamy. Then add in the salt and whip on a higher speed, slowly dusting in the two tablespoons of sugar to form stiff, glossy (but not dry) peaks. Fold one third of the egg whites into the sweet potato/chocolate mixture and work them in well to loosen the batter. Then, gently fold in the remaining egg whites, blending well but taking care not to deflate the mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes. The cake rises and looks dry, and slightly cracked on top when done. The middle should be soft but firm. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. At this point, the cake can be frozen for up to a month. Even if serving it the same day, chill the cake for an hour or two before finishing it with the ganache glaze.
• Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
• In a double boiler, bring the water to a gentle boil and add the chopped chocolate all at once. Remove from the heat and stir briskly with a wire whisk until all the chocolate melts and you have a thick glaze or sauce-like topping. Refrigerate for an hour or so. (You can also make this ahead and refrigerate it for up to a week or two. Simply warm it to the right temperature for glazing the cake.)
• Invert the cake onto a cardboard circle or cake board so that the smooth, flat bottom faces up. Do not be dismayed if this is not a high cake - it is a torte and is meant to be a little less than statuesque. Pour the glaze over the cake and, using a metal spatula, even out the glaze and spread it along the sides.
• Instead of the glaze, you can also simply sift some cocoa over the top of the cake or decorate it with curls of chocolate (using a vegetable peeler and a warmish chocolate bar). The cake can also be offered with a pureed raspberry or strawberry sauce, garnished with chocolate shavings, or left as is, with a citrus leaf, a sweetheart rose, or several berries in the center.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Grease and flour three baking sheets. With the tip of a knife, draw three separate 8-inch circles or hearts on the baking sheets.Place 1 cup of the sugar and almonds in a food processor bowl. Cover and process until nuts are finely ground set aside.In a large mixer bowl at high speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in sugared ground nuts. Spread one-third of the mixture in each circle on baking sheets.Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until nearly dry and edges are golden. Loosen layers with a spatula and carefully transfer warm shells to wire racks to cool completely. Assemble torte immediately or store meringues in an airtight container.In a small saucepan, mix chocolate, 1/2 cup of the whipping cream, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Stirring constantly over low heat, cook until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Chill for 1 hour or until firm enough to spread.In a small mixer bowl at medium speed, beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.About 4 1/2 hours before serving, assemble torte. Place one meringue layer on a serving plate and spread with about 1 cup of the whipped cream. Spread half of the chocolate mixture on a second meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on first layer. Spread about 1 cup of the whipped cream on the top surface. Spread remaining chocolate mixture on third meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on cream-covered stack. Wrap assembled torte in plastic wrap and chill for 3 1/2 hours.Uncover and frost top and sides of torte with remaining whipped cream. Chill, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Garnish top with strawberries.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 250°. Grease and flour three baking sheets. With the tip of a knife, draw three separate 8-inch circles or hearts on the baking sheets.2. Place 1 cup of the splenda and almonds in a food processor bowl. Cover and process until nuts are finely ground set aside.3. In a large mixer bowl at high speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons splenda and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in sugared ground nuts. Spread one-third of the mixture in each circle on baking sheets.4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until nearly dry and edges are golden. Loosen layers with a spatula and carefully transfer warm shells to wire racks to cool completely. Assemble torte immediately or store meringues in an airtight container.5. In a small saucepan, mix chocolate, 1/2 cup of the whipping cream, remaining 1/4 cup splenda and butter. Stirring constantly over low heat, cook until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Chill for 1 hour or until firm enough to spread.6. In a small mixer bowl at medium speed, beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.7. About 4 1/2 hours before serving, assemble torte. Place one meringue layer on a serving plate and spread with about 1 cup of the whipped cream. Spread half of the chocolate mixture on a second meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on first layer. Spread about 1 cup of the whipped cream on the top surface. Spread remaining chocolate mixture on third meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on cream-covered stack. Wrap assembled torte in plastic wrap and chill for 3 1/2 hours.8. Uncover and frost top and sides of torte with remaining whipped cream. Chill, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Garnish top with strawberries.