Cherry Fudge Brownie Torte (TWD)

Chocolate, cherries, and mascarpone mousse - what's not to love about this Cherry Fudge Brownie Torte? This inspired recipe takes the flavors of a black forest cake to a decadent new level with a ultra rich brownie studded with kirsch soaked cherries and a light and creamy mascapone mousse. The flavor quotient is punched up with a healthy grinding of black pepper in the brownie base.

There has been a lot of baking happening in the Tender Crumb kitchen, so there was no way I was going to make a full sized torte. I halved the recipe, which was more than plenty for a 7 inch torte and a 4 inch mini-torte (pictured here).

Rich and flavorful, you only need a couple of bites to satisfy you sweet tooth. The punch of the black pepper and the not-too-sweet mascarpone mousse helps to balance out the richness of the chocolate brownie base.

Please visit April's blog, Short + Rose, for the recipe, and make sure to make the rounds with the TWD blogroll to see some inspired baking!

Parisian Tartlets (TWD)

The ingredient list for this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe: puff pastry, fruit, brown sugar, and butter. Who knew that this short and sweet ingredient list could create these beautiful and elegant tartlets!

As we're just jumping into the summer fruit season (yipeee!!!), I also used fresh cherries and peaches, along with apples that are called for in the original recipe (please visit My Baking Heart for the complete recipe)
Along with the 4 inch tartlets, I also made some bite-size baby tarts (cherries and donut peaches shown here):
Out of necessity, I made puff pastry from scratch, as Trader Joe's only carries their frozen puff pastry seasonally --- who knew that puff pastry went out of season!

The last time I made puff pastry was in my pro-baking class a year or so ago, and I literally made it one-handed as I was in a cast with a broken wrist (Mary Jo can bear witness to my one-armed fiasco!).

As you can imagine, the process this time around was a lot more pleasurable. In all honesty, puff pastry isn't all that difficult to make...it's scheduling the time to roll out the dough 4-5 times to get those beautiful flaky layers that makes the recipe a little tricky.

I ran out of time (apologies), so I owe all of you lovely TWD'ers a post on this puff pastry recipe, including process photos.
Roll out the dough, use a cutter (or a knife) to cut out the dough, top with fruit.

Sprinkle each tartlet with some brown sugar and dot with some butter. Pop them into the oven for 25 minutes (I only needed 20 minutes, as went a wee bit smaller for my tartlets) and voila! --- you are rewarded with a beautiful dessert!

Thanks to Jessica of My Baking Heart for a wonderful selection this week! Please make sure to make the rounds at the TWD blogroll.

Four-Star Chocolate Bread Pudding (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Four Star Bread Pudding, is one of the more un-photogenic desserts that I've made (I hesitate to tell you what I think this really looks like). Still, don't judge a book by it's cover, as this dessert tastes WAY better than it looks.

This recipe takes the traditional bread pudding and elevates the richness (and deliciousness) with the addition of bittersweet chocolate to the rich custard mix.

I downsized and made 1/3 of the recipe recipe, which yielded enough for 3 individual ramekins. I used Trader Joe's Cinnamon Swirl Bread (if you haven't tried this, it is AMAZING for french toast or plain ole cinnamon toast) and tossed in a small handful of dried tart cherries. Going with the cherry theme, I added 1 tbsp of kirsch to the custard mixture. Cherries and chocolate - you can't go wrong with that combination.

With the individual ramekins, it only required 20 minutes in the oven in a hot water bath for the custard to set. Once the individual puddings are allowed to rest and cool slightly, I poured creme anglaise on top and let the creamy goodness seep into the still warm pudding. At this point, I'm at the caloric point of no return with all of the cream, eggs and sugar, so a little more fat from the creme anglaise won't hurt, would it?

If you're seriously jonesin' for chocolate, this dessert should satisfy that craving. I thought the pudding had a better consistency when eaten warm (at room temp, the pudding had a funky rubbery texture). My favorite part of the dessert was the dried cherries, as the tartness helped to balance out the richness of the dessert.

Thanks to Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle for selecting this ultimate comfort food. For the recipe, please visit Lauren's blog or you can find it at Leite's Culinaria. To feast your eyes on more bread puddings, make sure to check out the TWD blogroll.

Cherry Berry Crumb Cake (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Blueberry Crumb Cake, was the perfect remedy for a lazy Sunday morning at our house this past weekend. It was definitely a "stay in my PJs and fuzzy slippers" kinda day, and this recipe started my morning on the right foot. With a miminal fuss to prepare, in no time you're rewarded with a delicious homemade treat with your morning cup o' joe and a Sunday paper (plus you have the intoxicating smell of something sweet and delicious baking in the oven permeating the house).

This easy to assemble breakfast cake is enhanced with a healthy amount of fruit and topped with walnut-studded crumb topping. It's also a very forgiving recipe, as you can vary the fruit, nut, zest and spices to work with what's available in your pantry.

Previously, I've used blueberries (fresh or frozen works equally well), as well as other fruit (pears, frozen raspberries) with this recipe, and experienced great results each time. This time around, I used Trader Joe's Very Cherry Berry Blend, which is a frozen medley of cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. I always have a bag or two of this in my freezer, as it's a delicious mix-in for oatmeal or yogurt, and it makes for a fantastic filling for an impromptu crisp/cobbler.

For the most part, I followed the recipe as written and my notes are below:

- I didn't bother pulling out the food processor to make the crumbs, as it can easily be made by hand (and I didn't want to wash any more dishes -- yes, I'm working hard to keep the lazy morning theme).

- Instead of folding the fruit into the batter, I instead poured the batter into the pan, layered the fruit on top of the batter, then topped it with the crumbs. I think this layering approach helps to prevent all the fruit from sinking to the bottom.

- Perhaps it was due to the juiciness of fruit mix I used this time around, but I had to increase the baking time to 75 minutes (versus 55-65 minutes stated in the recipe). As expected, the cake was delicious! The cake was very moist, and I loved how the tart cherry/berry blend and sweet crunchy crumb topping played together.

Thanks Sihan of Befuddlement for selecting this keeper of a recipe! Make sure to visit the TWD blogroll to see everyone's delicious creations

Cherry Cobbler (TWD)

Since joining this fantastic cooking group Tuesday's With Dorie, I've had a wonderful time cooking thru Dorie Greenspan's baking book, and making recipes that I typically wouldn't have considered trying. With that expanding of horizons (and waistlines) came buying food items that typically wouldn't occupy my pantry. As a result, my cupboards have been overflowing with baking remnants from prior weeks. Not that these items would go to waste (hate the thought of that), I've been consciously trying to get thru these supplies before purchasing anything but the essentials at the market. This exercise was put to the test with this week's selection, Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler, which comes courtesy from Amanda from Like Sprinkles On A Cupcake.
Cobbler is a wonderfully flexible and forgiving recipe, where you can mix and match a variety of fruits. I could have gone to the farmers market with a TON a great summer fruit on display, but I was determined to not buy any additional ingredients for this recipe. I went with mini-cobblers in three small, shallow ramekins, so made only half the filling and one-third of the topping. I dug out an almost full bag of cherries from the freezer (Trader Joe's brand), and supplemented it with a small handful of frozen raspberries (aslo TJ's) to get the right quantity of fruit. I had the rest of the ingredients at home, so things were looking good! I've never seen or tasted rhubarb before...and it looks like I won't be experiencing it any time soon (couldn't even tell you where to find it in my area). To add the tartness that rhubarb would have provided, I added the zest and juice of one lime. Aside from adjusting the recipe size and the rhubarb substitution, I followed the recipe as written. As these were mini-cobblers, baking time was reduced to 30 minutes.

The smell in the house while the cobbler was baking was wonderful and comforting! I also loved pulling the just baked cobbler-ettes out of the oven, with the filling still bubbling and steam emitting from the dish:


Naturally, this cobbler had to be served with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. I spooned the still warm cherry filling over the ice cream, and I love how the ice cream melted into a creme anglaise sauce:

I have to admit that I really enjoyed this dessert (and I'm not a huge fan of cobblers). Just comparing the toppings, it definitely trumped the cobbler that I made a few weeks back. The topping in this recipe has more of a cakey texture, which I personally prefer over a biscuit topping, and I enjoyed the slight sharpness in flavor coming from the ginger. The cherry filling was delicious (couldn't tell that the fruit was frozen), and the lime added a terrific tartness. Next time, I think I'll play with the recipe to enhance the ginger flavor, maybe with some crystalized ginger (if my pantry can make room for it!).
To see the 200+ beautiful cobblers made by fellow TWD bakers, check out the blogroll. For the recipe, Amanda has it posted here.