CHOCOLATE CHERRY PUDDING: Cherry Dessert Day!

Today is National Cherry Dessert Day, so, of course, I went to my favorite Cherry Preserves site: Bonne Maman! And what did I find? A fabulous recipe for Chocolate Cherry Pudding! You're going to love this for dessert today.. or any day!

CHOCOLATE CHERRY PUDDING

Ingredients 

2 cups Whole Milk 

3 oz Bittersweet Chocolate 

½ cup Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves (remove large cherry pieces, and set aside) 

1/3 cup Sugar 

1 Tbsp Cornstarch 

5 Egg Yolks beaten 

⅛ tsp pure Vanilla Extract 

¼ tsp Salt 4-6 

Chocolate Wafers 

Whipped Cream

Directions

Melt chocolate in double boiler over medium high heat. In small saucepan, heat 5 Tablespoons of Bonne Maman Cherry preserves (with the large pieces of cherries set aside) over low heat. In medium saucepan, warm the milk until it just simmers, then remove from heat. In large bowl, mix together  sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour warm milk into egg mixture, whisking continuously, to temper eggs. Return to saucepan and cook over low heat until mixture coats back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes.

Pour melted chocolate into egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Slowly add cherry preserves liquid and whisk until incorporated and smooth.

At bottom of serving platter or dish, place layer of chocolate wafers (either whole, or cut in half as necessary to fit the bottom of dish). Add  layer ofremaining Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves to coat the wafers. Pour a layer of pudding into dish to fill almost to top, and refrigerate until set. 

When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and a reserved cherry.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY WINE COOKIES

Today is National Wine Day and tomorrow is National Cherry Dessert Day. Celebrate both holidays by making these easy Double Chocolate Wine Cherry Cookies! I always have dried cherries on hand (they keep well in the refrigerator). What could be better than chocolate, cherries, and wine! This recipe is adapted from Foodnetwork.com.  These cookies will also be a big hit at your Memorial Day BBQ. As always, use the very best chocolate!

Double Chocolate Cherry Wine Cookies
 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality dark cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dry red wine, Zinfandel (I've used both Pinot and Merlot)
10 ounces dark chocolate (65-70% cacao--the best you can find), chopped in small chunks or dark chocolate chips (I use Guittard)
1 - 1/4 cup dried tart cherries (unsweetened are more tart but use what you have)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in bowl.
In bowl of electric mixer, or with a handheld mixer, combine butter and sugars until fluffy.
Add egg, vanilla, and wine, and combine.
Slowly in batches, add flour mixture until just combined.
Fold in chocolate and cherries.
On nonstick cookie sheet, place heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie about 2 inches apart.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are still soft looking but edges look firm.
Cool on sheet for 5-8 minutes.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER: 2 Recipes for Memorial Day!

Fresh cherries are hitting the market, so today I'm posting a recipe for a fresh chocolate cherry cobbler and a second recipe that uses natural cherry pie filling in case you don't have fresh cherries available in your area. I love Chukar Cherries Sour Cherry Fruit Filling--whole and tangy Montmorency cherries. Red and delicious! Either of these Chocolate Cherry Cobbler recipes are perfect for Memorial Day!

So what exactly is a Cobbler? Cobblers traditionally have a biscuit topping on the fresh fruit. The biscuits are usually dropped onto the fruit in small rounds, giving it the appearance of a cobbled road and hence the name Cobbler.  


USING FRESH CHERRIES:

1. CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER WITH FRESH CHERRIES

Ingredients
6 cups tart red cherries, pitted
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
4 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp milk 

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In saucepan combine filling ingredients and cook, stirring until bubbling and thickened. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Cool. After cooled, sprinkle chopped chocolate.
In bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly.
Mix together egg and milk. Add to flour mixture and stir with fork just until combined.
Drop topping by tablespoonfuls onto filling.
Bake for 25 minutes until browned and bubbly.

***

USING CHERRY PIE FILLING:

2. CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER WITH CHERRY PIE FILLING

Ingredients
18 ounces Chukar's Sour Cherry Fruit Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp flour
1 cup dark chocolate (60-75% cacao), chopped

Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (I use Kerrygold)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix cherries, sugar and flour. Spread evenly in 11 x 7 baking dish.
Sprinkle chocolate over top.

For topping
Mix together flour, sugars and pinch of salt.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over cherry filling.
Bake cobbler until filling bubbles and topping is golden brown.
About 40 to 45 minutes.

S'MORES BLONDIE PIE: Memorial Day

I always think of Memorial Day as the start of Summer, and nothing says Summer more to me than S'mores! So maybe you plan on making S'mores on the Grill for your Memorial Day Celebration.  But, just maybe, you want to make your Memorial Day S'mores ahead, so you can enjoy the party! This S'mores Blondie Pie tastes like Summer. It's an easy dessert recipe from Hershey's Kitchens. And, as much as I love high-end chocolate, when it comes to S'mores, I prefer good old fashioned Hershey's!

S'mores Blondie Pie

Ingredients
6 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz. each), divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 cups marshmallow creme or marshmallow fluff
1/4 teaspoon shortening (do not use margarine, butter, spread or oil)

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Unwrap chocolate bars; break into pieces.
Beat butter and sugar until blended in medium bowl. Add egg; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, graham cracker crumbs, and baking powder; beat until well blended.
Press half of dough onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Spread marshmallow creme over bottom of crust. Set aside 1 tablespoon chocolate bar pieces; sprinkle remaining pieces evenly over marshmallow creme.
Form remaining dough into ball; place on sheet of waxed paper. With fingers, flatten and shape into 9-inch circle. Pick up waxed paper, supporting dough with hands. Flip dough onto pie surface; peel off waxed paper. Pinch edges of dough together and form crust edge.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Melt remaining chocolate bar pieces with shortening; drizzle over top of pie.
Optional: torch some mini-marshmallows and put them on top of the pie!

To serve, microwave slices at HIGH (100%) 15 to 20 seconds or until slightly warm and marshmallow starts to melt.