Chocolate Cherry Cakes

Little Chocolate Cherry Cakes, a perfect sweetheart dessert and very simple to make can be served with a scoop of cherry vanilla ice cream and a sprig of mint to garnish. Sugar High Friday # 27-Chocolate By Brand hosted by David Lebovitz was a great opportunity to showcase these rich little cakes.

Anticipating making some chocolate desserts over the holidays, I bought no less than 12-4 oz. bars of Ghiradelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate at Dekalb Farmers Market in Decatur, Georgia.Because the market deals in bulk, the chocolate bars cost far less than at my local supermarket. My family wanted Babas Au Rhum this year so the chocolate was falling out of my pantry. Sugar High Friday's chocolate event make perfect sense. I even ate one of these little babies for breakfast-now is that decadence or what?

Ingredients


1/2 cup dried tart cherries-I used a combination of dried cherries, blueberries and dried cranberries.
1/4 cup eau-de-vie de framboise or other raspberry liqueur
3 oz Ghiradelli 60 % cacao bittersweet chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt.
confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and butter the inside of six 1/2-cup muffin pans.

In a saucepan, simmer dried fruit combination in the framboise, stirring until all liquid is absorbed into the fruit.

Chop chocolate and butter and melt in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Add flour and salt, stirring until just combined and fold in dried fruit mixture.

Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake about 20-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering. Turn cakes out on rack to cool. Cakes will keep in an airtight container for 4 days.

To serve, cut out a 1-1/4 inch paper heart and center on the top of a cake. Sift confectioners' sugar over cake and carefully remove heart. Repeat with remaining cakes. Makes six cakes.


Recipe From Gourmet