Black Forest Petit Fours

cake:

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 ½ cups sugar

1 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 large eggs

¼ cup strong coffee (or 3 T espresso powder and ¼ cp warm water)

¾ cup yogurt

• Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare 2 9 X 5 loaf pans by greasing and lining with wax paper.
• Combine all the dry ingredients together. Add softened butter and beat for 2 minutes on low.
• Combine all the wet ingredients together. Add these to the flour-butter mixture one-third at a time, beating for 2 minutes on medium speed between each addition.
• Pour into prepared pans and bake for 50minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

simple syrup:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup kirschwasser

• Heat and stir till sugar is dissolved.
• Set aside to cool. When cooled add kirschwasser.

filling:

1 jar tart cherry preserves

• Mince in food processor.

• When the cakes are cool, cut them into ⅜” slices and brush the tops with syrup.
• Spread a thin layer of cherry preserves over half of the slices and top with the other slices.
• Place slices on cookie sheets and put in freezer.

ganache fondant:

2 cups cream

2 cups bittersweet chocolate

2 tsp vanilla

• Boil cream, pour over chocolate and combine. Add vanilla.
• Reheat on low as needed.

buttercream:

1 cup water

2 tsp almond extract

2 tsp clear vanilla extract

2 tsp butter flavor

3 cp Crisco

¼ tsp popcorn salt

2 T meringue powder

4 T cornstarch

4 lb powdered sugar

• Pour flavorings in a cup. Add water to equal 1 cup. Stir in salt.
• Cream Crisco till smooth.
• With mixer on low, slowly add flavorings and water.
• Add meringue powder and cornstarch. Cream together well.
• Add sugar in two batches, stirring to incorporate.
• Beat till smooth.

assembly:

• Drain juice from maraschino cherries and place on paper towels.
• Remove cake slices from freezer. Using a 1 ¾” round cutter, cut each (sandwiched) slice into four rounds.
• Place rounds on cooling rack over a rimmed cookie sheet.
• Pour ganache over cakes, making sure all sides are covered. When pan is empty, move the cooling rack over to the other cookie sheet and scrape the fondant back into the pan. If there are any crumbs, pick them out with a knife or toothpick.
• As soon as the cakes are dried, slide a thin metal spatula underneath them and transfer them to a parchment-lined cookie sheet for decorating.
• Pipe a swirl of buttercream on each cake and top with a maraschino cherry.
• Makes 24 1 ¾” petit fours.