Chocolate Cranberry Scones

A festive twist to the usual scone.

2 1/4 cups cake and pastry flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
4 squares semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 squares white chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Use pastry blender or two knives to cut butter into dry mixture until crumbly.  Stir in semi-sweet chocolate and cranberries.
2. Make a well in dry ingredients; add milk and stir with fork until ragged dough forms.  Turn out onto work surface and knead just until ragged bits are incorporated into dough.  Gently pat dough into 3/4 inch thick disc.  Use 2.5 in cutter to cut out scones.  Place on unbuttered baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle tops evenly with brown sugar.  Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden on the bottom; broil for 45 seconds or until top is golden.  Let cool on wire rack.  Microwave white chocolate on medium for about 1 minute.  Stir until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled scones.

Makes 12 scones

Cherry Almond Strudel

A really wonderful dessert with great flavour.  Really not that hard to make (but don't tell anyone that)!

From Food and Drink 2003

FILLING
1 1/4 lb (;625g) sour cherries, pitted
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 tsp cinnamon

PASTRY
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ground almonds

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a bowl, combine cherries, almonds, sugar, bread crumbs and cinnamon.  Reserve.
3. Lay phyllo dough on counter and cover with a tea towel.  Remove first sheet, brush with butter.  Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup ground almonds and sprinkle about 1 tbsp over butter.  Top with a second sheet, butter and sprinkle with sugar almond mixture.  Repeat with remaining sheets.  Place cherry mixture about 2 inches from the long edge and 1 inch from the short edge.  Fold in short sides and roll phyllo into a strudel shape.  Brush with butter and cut 3 slits on top.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is browned and cherry mixture is cooked.

Serves 6 to 8 

Black Forest Cake

I have made this a few times, it is a little work to assemble but worth it!

Cherry filling
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 slightly beaten egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Golden Butter Frosting
Maraschino cherries
Chocolate curls

Prepare Cherry Filling.  Grease and lightly flour two 9 x 1 1/2 inch round baking pans; set aside.  In a saucepan combine 2/3 cup sugar, the 1/2 cup milk, chocolate and 1 egg.  Cook and stir just till mixture boils; cool.  Meanwhile stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.  In a large mixer bowl beat shortening on medium speed of electric mixer about 30 seconds.  Add the 1 cup sugar and vanilla; beat till fluffy.  Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well on medium speed.  Add dry ingredients and the 1 cup milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating after each addition.  Stir in chocolate mixture.  Turn into prepared pans.  Bake in a 350 oven for 25 to 30 minutes or till a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes on wire racks.  Remove from pans; cool thoroughly.

To assemble place 1 cake layer on a serving plate.  Us 1/2 cup of the golden butter frosting to make a solid circle about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch high, in centre of bottom cake layer.  Use 1 cup frosting to make a border, 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch high, around the edge of the layer.  Spoon chilled cherry filling between circle and border.  Place second cake layer on top.  Frost top and sides with remaining frosting.  Garnish with maraschino cherries and Chocolate curls.  Chill.  Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 12 servings.

Cherry Filling:  Drain one 16 ounce can pitted dark sweet cherries, reserving 1/2 cup syrup.  Coarsely chop cherries and place in a bowl.  Add 1/3 cup Kirsch or cherry liqueur; let stand 2 hours.  In a saucepan combine 4 tsp cornstarch and the reserved 1/2 cup cherry syrup; stir in chopped cherry mixture.  Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.  Cool and stir 2 minutes more.  Cover surface with clear plastic wrap; chill.

Golden Butter Frosting:  Beat 1 cup butter till fluffy.  Beat in 2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar till smooth.  Add 3 egg yolks, beating till mixture is fluffy.  Add 2 1/4 cups additional sifted powdered sugar; beat till smooth.