Sour Cherry Chocolate Torte

By KeyIngredient

Ingredients

• 1 1-lb can of red sour pitted cherries packed in water (NOT cherry pie filling)
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate
• 2-1/2 oz (1/2 cup) almonds, blanched or unblanched
• 6 oz (1-1/2 sticks) sweet butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 3 eggs (large or extra large)
• 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Adjust oven rack to one third up from bottom and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan and dust it with fine, dry bread crumbs, invert and shake out excess. Set pan aside.

Drain all liquid from the cherries (you should have a scant 2 cups of drained cherries) and then spread them in a single layer on several thicknesses of paper towels and let stand.

Place the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderated heat. Cover until partially melted; the uncover and stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove top of double boiler and set aside uncovered to cool slightly.

The almonds must be ground to a fine powder. Do this in a blender or a nut grinder and set aside.

Cream the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add vanilla and almond flavorings and then the sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating after each addition until thoroghly mixed. On low speed, add the chocloate and beat until mixed. Add the almons and beat to mix; then the flour and beat, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, only until incorporated.

Place about half or slightly more of the batter iin the prepared pan and spread it to make a smoth layer about 3/4 inches thick