Black Forest Cake & Shoofly Pie

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here are some words of wisdom from Rosemary Zwick:

The golden rule when reading the menu is, if you cannot pronounce it,
you cannot afford it. - Frank Muir, 1920 - 1998

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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Long-time readers of this ezine know that I don't often publish cake
recipes, preferring lighter and healthier desserts. This recipe is
such a classic that I decided it's time for a sweet indulgence.

Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte)

For the cake:
10 Tbs (150 ml) unsalted butter
6 eggs
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsweetened cocoa

Clarify the butter by melting it in a small saucepan over low heat.
Skim off the foam and pour the clear liquid into a small bowl,
discarding the solids in the bottom of the pan. Set aside. Beat the
eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour
and cocoa in a sifter and add to the egg mixture a little at a time,
folding it in gently with each addition. Fold in the clarified butter
about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) at a time, folding just enough to
incorporate the butter. Pour the batter into three buttered and
floured 7- to 8-inch (17 - 20 cm) round cake pans. Bake in a
preheated 350F (180C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for about
5 minutes, then run the blade of a small knife around the edges of the
cakes and invert them onto wire racks to cool to room temperature.

For the syrup:
1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1/2 cup (125 ml) kirsch

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil uncovered
over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and stir in
the kirsch. Drizzle or brush the syrup over the cooled cakes.

For the topping:
3 cups (750 ml) heavy cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) kirsch
1 cup canned sour cherries, rinsed and drained
Fresh sweet cherries with stems or maraschino cherries for garnish
Chocolate curls* for garnish

Beat the cream until it has thickened slightly. Add the powdered
sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Beat in the kirsch.

To assemble, place one of the three layers on a serving platter.
Spread about 1/4 of the whipped cream over the cake and scatter 1/2
the cherries on top. Gently place the second cake on top and repeat.
Place the third cake on top and cover the top and sides of the cake
with the remaining whipped cream. Garnish with cherries and chocolate
curls. Makes one cake to serve 8 to 10.

* To make chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler to shave thin slices
off an 8-ounce (225 g) block of semisweet chocolate that is at room
temperature but still firm. Work directly over waxed paper and
refrigerate or freeze the chocolate curls until needed, handling them
as little as possible.

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It's no secret why this Pennsylvania Dutch classic is named as it is -
it's so sweet that flies can't ignore it.

Shoofly Pie

For the topping:
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) lard or butter, cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) pieces

For the filling:
1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
2/3 cup (160 ml) light corn syrup (golden syrup)
1/3 cup (80 ml) dark molasses (treacle)

1 9-inch (23 cm) pastry shell, unbaked
 Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

To prepare the topping, combine the flour, sugar, and shortening in a
bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles
coarse meal. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water in a deep
bowl. Add the corn syrup and molasses, stirring to mix thoroughly. Pour
into the pie shell and sprinkle the topping evenly over the top. Bake in
a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling is
firm and doesn't jiggle when the pie is shaken. Serve at room
temperature, garnished with whipped cream if desired. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Fri May 4 09:35:41 2007