Chocolate and Cherry Desserts

Chocolate and cherry are two delicious flavors that work wonderfully together. This classic combination is used in a variety of sweet treats, from ice creams to Black Forest cake. But eating chocolate cherry dessert at home doesn't have to mean just pulling out a box of chocolate cherry cordials. With some simple receipes, it is easy to impress and delight guests with delicious chocolate cherry desserts.

During summer, fresh cherries are available at grocery stores and farmers markets. Pitting them can take time but fresh cherries have a strong, juicy flavor. Choose dark sweet cherries, or bright red tart cherries for baking. In winter time, look for cherries preserved in water. These are usually already pitted. Avoid cherries in syrups, as corn syrup will make the cherries sticky and overly sweet. Cherry preserves are another way to enjoy cherries all year round. Look for preserves with short ingredient lists that focus on fruit and pectin. Avoid jams and jellies, as these often contain lots of added sugar and do not have real fruit.

Choosing the chocolate is another important task. Guittard and Ghiradelli both make excellent baking chips that can be found in most groceries. Guittard recently introduced the Akoma Extra Semi-sweet baking chips with 50% cocoa. The chocolate has a deep, almost fruity flavor that is a wonderful complement to baking with cherries. Valrhona and Scharfen Berger also make excellent baking chocolate with various percentages of cocoa. Using a semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate can enhance the flavor of your dessert when combined with fruits.

Chocolate is all about taste, so experiment with different kinds. There is no one 'right' chocolate - use what tastes good!

Here are two simple recipes for chocolate cherry desserts to make at home.

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

9 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

14-16 ounces of cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line the cupcake pan. This recipe makes one dozen cupcakes. If using canned or jarred fruit, drain the cherries and save the juice in a cup or bowl.

Melt the chocolate chips and butter together. This can be done on the stove top, or in the microwave on low heat in thirty second intervals. Keep stirring until smooth. Beat in the sugar, vanilla and eggs until glossy. Stir in the flour until just mixed - don't keep pounding away at the batter.

Put a spoon full of batter in each cupcake wrapper. Then drop in about ten chocolate chips and three cherries. Cover them up with the remaining batter and toss them in the oven. I cooked these for about twenty minutes, until the tops appeared to be puffy and cracking. They can go as long as twenty five minutes, but it is better to under cook than overcook with these cupcakes.

The cake has a nice crumb, not too moist and not too dry. The best part is the chocolate chips that melt around the cherries, becoming a truffle like center. These cupcakes are delicious on their own, or can be frosted.

Cherry Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

4 tablespoons cherry juice

Cream the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl. Add two table spoons of cherry juice. Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Keep beating at a medium speed. During this process, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Once all of the sugar is incorporated, add the remaining two tablespoons of cherry juice. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

Frost the cupcakes after they have cooled. Decorate with cherries on top, or chocolate chips.

Chocolate Cherry Fudge Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup heavy cream

9 ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped or chips

1/2 cup cherry preserves

pie crust

In a heavy sauce pan, whisk together the cream and preserves. Over medium heat, watch the cream until it just begins to boil. There will be one to three spots where large bubbles begin forming. Remove the pan from the heat before the cream begins boiling up. Add the chocolate and whisk. It may take several minutes for the chocolate to melt and thoroughly combine with the cream. Once no more streaks of cream are visible, pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate.

After twenty to twenty five minutes, remove the mixture and whisk vigorously for several minutes. This whisking will help make the chocolate cream a bit more fluffy and incorporate some air. Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into a pie crust and return to the fridge. Allow it to set for at least three hours, or overnight.

This pie can be made with either a cookie crust or a pastry crust. Both are equally delicious. If using a pastry crust, be sure to completely bake the crust before filling it with the chocolate cream mixture. Decorate the pie with whipped cream and cherries.