Sweetheart Torte Recipes

SWEETHEART TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioners' sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed.
• Using a round cookie cutter the same diameter as the top of the muffin tin cups (about 2 inches), cut 36 rounds of dough. Gently press a dough round into each muffin cup and press evenly into the sides and bottom of the cup. Continue with remaining dough rounds. Bake until set and edges are light golden, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool in the pan completely before removing with a small offset spatula.
• Heat the jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the cherries and stir gently to coat completely. With a small teaspoon, transfer a cherry into each tart shell and drizzle with a little more warm jam. Allow to cool and set.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

SACHER TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan; place a circle of parchment paper inside, and butter that as well.
• Melt 4 ounces of chocolate in a metal bowl placed over gently simmering water. Stir frequently until melted, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Beat the butter together with confectioners' sugar until creamy. Mix in the melted chocolate, then beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with white sugar until stiff and glossy. Fold into chocolate mixture, then fold in cake flour, until incorporated. Pour into prepared springform pan, and smooth the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry, about 45 minutes. Cool pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a small knife around the edge and remove the sides of the pan. Allow cake to cool completely on the base of the pan. When cool, remove from pan, and remove parchment paper; slice cake in half horizontally.
• Bring 1/4 cup water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. When the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is clear, remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons rum. Brush 1/3 of the syrup onto the cut side of the cake bottom.
• Puree the apricot preserves with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining rum, then spread 1/3 of the jam mixture onto the cut side of the cake bottom. Place the top of the cake onto the bottom. Brush the outside of the cake with the remaining syrup, then spread remaining apricot preserves over the top and sides; refrigerate until the icing is ready.
• To make the icing, melt 9 ounces of chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then stir into melted chocolate. Cool slightly, stirring often, until the chocolate reaches a spreadable consistency.
• Set the cake on a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet or waxed paper to catch any drips. Pour the icing on top of the cake, and spread around the edges; allow excess icing to drip through the rack. Cool cake to room temperature, then carefully remove from the cooling rack using a spatula. Transfer to a dessert plate and store in the refrigerator. Allow cake to come to room temperature before serving.

SWEETHEART TORTE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 250°. Grease and flour three baking sheets. With the tip of a knife, draw three separate 8-inch circles or hearts on the baking sheets.2. Place 1 cup of the splenda and almonds in a food processor bowl. Cover and process until nuts are finely ground set aside.3. In a large mixer bowl at high speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons splenda and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in sugared ground nuts. Spread one-third of the mixture in each circle on baking sheets.4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until nearly dry and edges are golden. Loosen layers with a spatula and carefully transfer warm shells to wire racks to cool completely. Assemble torte immediately or store meringues in an airtight container.5. In a small saucepan, mix chocolate, 1/2 cup of the whipping cream, remaining 1/4 cup splenda and butter. Stirring constantly over low heat, cook until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Chill for 1 hour or until firm enough to spread.6. In a small mixer bowl at medium speed, beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.7. About 4 1/2 hours before serving, assemble torte. Place one meringue layer on a serving plate and spread with about 1 cup of the whipped cream. Spread half of the chocolate mixture on a second meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on first layer. Spread about 1 cup of the whipped cream on the top surface. Spread remaining chocolate mixture on third meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on cream-covered stack. Wrap assembled torte in plastic wrap and chill for 3 1/2 hours.8. Uncover and frost top and sides of torte with remaining whipped cream. Chill, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Garnish top with strawberries.

SACHER TORTE HEART WITH TRUFFLE TOP

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in center. Butter two 6-inch heart-shape cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust with cocoa powder, and tap out excess; set aside. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring often; set aside.
• Put butter and 1/3 cup sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in yolks, then vanilla and melted chocolate. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour. Transfer batter to a large bowl.
• Put egg whites and salt into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed until foamy. Raise speed to medium-high; gradually beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Raise speed to high, and beat just until stiff peaks form. Stir half the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining egg whites.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Tap firmly on counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until centers are just set, 16 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on a wire rack. Turn out cakes; remove parchment. Reinvert onto rack.
• Trim cakes flat. Warm jam in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly runny. Stir in liqueur, if desired. Spread warm jam over 1 cake layer. Top with remaining layer.
• Make the ganache: Put chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to a boil over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes, until cooled and the consistency of corn syrup, about 30 minutes.
• Slowly pour ganache over top and down sides of cake (use an offset spatula to spread evenly, if needed). Let stand 30 minutes. Arrange truffles over top of cake. Serve.

SWEETHEART TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°. Grease and flour three baking sheets. With the tip of a knife, draw three separate 8-inch circles or hearts on the baking sheets.Place 1 cup of the sugar and almonds in a food processor bowl. Cover and process until nuts are finely ground set aside.In a large mixer bowl at high speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoons sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in sugared ground nuts. Spread one-third of the mixture in each circle on baking sheets.Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until nearly dry and edges are golden. Loosen layers with a spatula and carefully transfer warm shells to wire racks to cool completely. Assemble torte immediately or store meringues in an airtight container.In a small saucepan, mix chocolate, 1/2 cup of the whipping cream, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and butter. Stirring constantly over low heat, cook until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Chill for 1 hour or until firm enough to spread.In a small mixer bowl at medium speed, beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.About 4 1/2 hours before serving, assemble torte. Place one meringue layer on a serving plate and spread with about 1 cup of the whipped cream. Spread half of the chocolate mixture on a second meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on first layer. Spread about 1 cup of the whipped cream on the top surface. Spread remaining chocolate mixture on third meringue layer place, chocolate-side down, on cream-covered stack. Wrap assembled torte in plastic wrap and chill for 3 1/2 hours.Uncover and frost top and sides of torte with remaining whipped cream. Chill, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Garnish top with strawberries.