Double Decker Chocolate And Cherry Raspberry Birthday Pie Recipes

DOUBLE CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup juice. Set cherries aside. In a small saucepan, combine dried cherries and reserved juice. Bring to a boil; let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. , In a large bowl, combine the tart cherries, dried cherries and extract. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg. Add to cherry mixture; toss to coat. , Divide dough in half so that one portion is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger portion to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry even with edges. Pour filling into crust. Dot with butter., Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edges with foil during the last 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.

DOUBLE-DECKER CHOCOLATE AND CHERRY-RASPBERRY BIRTHDAY PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust:
• Coat springform pans with nonstick spray and line bottoms with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one large disc of dough to a 15" round; keep remaining dough chilled. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin, then unfurl it into one of the prepared pans. Gently lift and settle dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Trim any excess dough with scissors, leaving a 1/4" overhang, and transfer to refrigerator. Repeat with second large disc of dough and remaining pan. Chill at least 30 minutes.
• On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out smaller discs of dough to 12" rounds. Transfer on parchment to a rimmed baking sheet. Chill at least 30 minutes.
• Make the cherry-raspberry pie filling:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
• Mix walnuts, cherries, raspberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until well combined.
• Make the chocolate pie filling:
• Blend granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Add eggs, butter, evaporated milk, and salt; process until well combined, another 1-2 minutes.
• Assemble the pies:
• Whisk egg and milk in a small bowl; set aside. Remove springform pans from refrigerator. Fill one crust with cherry-raspberry filling and the other with chocolate filling. Let thaw 5 minutes.
• Brush edges of pie with egg wash, reserving any excess. Carefully top one pie with one smaller dough round, pulling it taught across the top and pressing the top and bottom crusts together to seal. Trim top crust to leave a 1/8" overhang, pinching excess dough together to seal. Repeat with second pie.
• Brush top of cherry-raspberry pie with remaining egg wash. Using a sharp knife, cut several thin vents on surface of both pies. Chill 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil. Transfer pies to sheets and bake until crusts are light golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate trays in oven, reduce temperature to 350°F, and bake until crusts are deep golden brown, 25 minutes more; cover crusts with foil or a pie shield if they begin to darken too much. Carefully transfer pies to a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes. Transfer pies to refrigerator and chill at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Make the Royal Icing:
• Beat egg whites and powdered sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until white, thickened, and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer one-third of the icing to a medium bowl. Whip with a spatula, adding water by the teaspoonful, until icing no longer holds a peak but folds back on itself. Fit pastry bag with circle tip, then transfer Royal Icing to bag.
• Add cream to remaining icing and continue whipping on medium-high speed until thick, about 5 minutes. Chill both icings at least 5 minutes.
• Assemble the Birthday Pie:
• Carefully remove pies from springform pans, trimming top edges of chocolate pie crust with a serrated knife to flatten if needed. Place chocolate pie on a cake stand or pie plate and pipe a thick ring of Royal Icing along top edge of pie. Pour cream-icing mixture into the center and evenly spread with the back of a spoon. Place cherry-raspberry pie on top and decorate with remaining Royal Icing. Chill at least 2 hours.
• To serve, bring pie to room temperature for 15 minutes, then slice with serrated knife.
• Do Ahead
• Pies can be baked 3 days ahead; loosely cover with foil and chill.

DOUBLE DECKER RASPBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• CRUST:
• Preheat oven to 325°F
• Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
• Place cookies in processor and blend until coarse crumbs form.
• Add butter and process until evenly moistened.
• Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan.
• Bake crust 8 minutes; cool on rack.
• FILLING:
• Press raspberries and juices through fine strainer into small bowl.
• Measure 1/2 cup puree for filling (reserve remaining puree for another use).
• Stir white chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until just melted and smooth; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth and fluffy.
• Beat in flour, then eggs, 1 at a time.
• Beat in whipping cream and vanilla. Transfer 2 1/4 cups batter to medium bowl; stir in melted white chocolate.
• Stir reserved 1/2 cup raspberry puree and almond extract into remaining batter in large bowl.
• Pour raspberry batter into prepared crust; place springform pan in large roasting pan.
• Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of pan.
• Bake until raspberry filling is softly set in center and beginning to puff at edges, about 50 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven; let raspberry layer cool 5 minutes to firm slightly.
• Starting at edge of pan, spoon white chocolate batter in concentric circles onto raspberry layer.
• Smooth top. Bake until white chocolate filling is set in center, about 30 minutes.
• Refrigerate cake uncovered until cold, at least 4 hours.
• Cut around pan sides with small knife to loosen cheesecake; release sides.
• Garnish cheesecake with white chocolate curls, if desired.