Amarena Cherry Almond Loaf

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

Loaf

  • 1 cup ground almonds, or almond meal
  • 1 ¼ cups, and 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons Amaretto almond liqueur
  • 1 cup Amarena cherries, drained and cut into halves

Glaze

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Amarena cherry syrup
  • 1 teaspoon melted salted butter
  • 2 teaspoons whipping, or heavy, cream

To decorate

  • Toasted flaked almonds
  • Additional Amarena cherries, drained

Method

Loaf

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Prepare 9” x 5” inch loaf pan with baking spray, or grease with butter, and set aside until needed
  3. In a bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, salt and baking powder. Whisk together well
  4. Beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
  6. Add the almond liqueur and mix to combine
  7. Add ½ the flour mixture and mix briefly
  8. Add the remaining of the flour mixture and fold just until no flour spots remain
  9. Toss the cherries in 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and fold in the batter
  10. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center. *If the loaf begins to brown too much before it has completed baking, cover it loosely with aluminium foil
  11. Cool 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan. Allow to cool completely before glazing

Glaze

  1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, cherry syrup, and melted butter until just smooth
  2. Add in the cream one teaspoon at a time until you can pour the glaze

To finish

  1. Drizzle the glaze over your cooled loaf
  2. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and dot surplus Amarena cherries to your liking
  3. Slice and serve

Loaf will keep best for up to three days at room temperature in an air-tight container

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Chocolate Budino w/ Amarena Cherries

Makes 4

Ingredients

Pudding

  • 6oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2oz milk chocolate
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 6 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon cocoa
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup heavy, or whipping, cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • I Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup Amarena cherries (incl. syrup)

Vanilla Cream Topping

  • 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 Tablespoon powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cocoa powder to dust
  • Additional Amarena cherries to top (optional)

Method

Pudding

  1. In a large bowl combine the semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate and butter. Set aside until needed
  2. In a pan combine the egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder and salt, whisking to combine. Over a low heat add the cream and milk, whisking to combine and cook for 8-9 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Take care not to overheat the mixture
  3. Remove the egg yolk mixture from the heat and pour over the chocolates/ butter, passing it through a strainer, or sieve, as you do. Let the combined mixture sit for 5 minutes
  4. Once the chocolate has fully melted add the olive oil and vanilla extract, stirring to combine until smooth and glossy. Set aside
  5. Divide the Amarena cherries between 4 small bowls, ramekins or glasses and portion each with some of the chocolate budino mixture (in the region of 1/2 cup each). Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 90 minutes
  6. Towards the end of this time you can make the vanilla cream topping. In a small bowl combine the powdered gelatin and water, heat for a few seconds in a microwave to dissolve the gelatin and then set aside to cool to room temperature
  7. While the gelatin mixture is cooling, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract in a bowl and whip to soft peak stage
  8. Reduce whisking speed to slow and add in the cooled gelatin solution to the soft whipped cream, pouring in steady stream as you continue to whisk. Once all the gelatin solution has been added increase the speed and whisk until stiff peaks, taking care not to over beat
  9. Pipe or spread the vanilla cream over the tops of your set chocolate, dust with cocoa powder, top with an Amarena cherry (optional). Serve and enjoy