50 g Dark plain chocolate; (70%
-cocoa), broken
; into pieces
4 tb Brandy
5 1/2 oz Unsalted butter; softened
5 1/2 oz Caster sugar
11 oz Ground almonds
6 Eggs; separated
4 tb Boiling water
7 oz Brandied cherries
———————COMPOTE OF BRANDIED CHERRIES———————
500 ml Red wine
4 1/2 oz Caster sugar
1/2 Vanilla pod; split open
1/2 Orange; sliced
1/2 Lemon; sliced
2 Cloves
1/2 Cinnamon stick
2 cn Cherries or 1-11/2lb
50 ml Brandy
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas4. Line the base and sides of a 20cm
loose based spring form cake tin. Place the chocolate into a
heatproof bowl with the brandy and melt on a double boiler.
Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Stir in the
ground almonds, egg yolks, boiling water, cherries, melted chocolate
mix. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Using a large metal spoon
gently stir in a quarter into the chocolate mix then fold in the
remainder. Pour into a prepared/lined tin and bake for 25-30 minutes
until just firm. Remove from the oven to cool in the tin.
Compote: Place all the ingredients into a pan (except the cherries)
and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Bring up to the boil, and reduce by half, strain the liquid. Add the
cherries and bring back to the boil. Pour into a jar and cool or use
warm. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
To decorate melt the chocolate and place into a piping bag to pipe
decoration of your choice, to serve, dust with the cocoa and the icing
sugar and brandied cherries. Drizzle cherry juice and cherries around
the outside of the plate.
Yields
8 servings