This recipe is an embellishment on the easy flourless chocolate cake I posted about recently. I decorated the cake with whipped cream and amarena cherries, and used the syrup of the amarena cherries for the cake batter instead of hot espresso coffee. The result is that the chocolate cake obtains a great deep and dark fruitiness from the cherry syrup, and the combination of the cherries with the chocolate cake is wonderful. The cream lightens up things a bit (although of course not in terms of calories). In terms of preparation it is almost as easy as the simple flourless chocolate cake, except of course for the decorating part.

Ingredients

For 4 tartlets

112 grams (4 oz) chocolate, 70% cacao solids

50 grams (1/4 cup) dark brown sugar

12 amarena cherries

45 ml (3 Tbsp) amarena syrup

55 grams (4 Tbsp) butter, at room temperature + more for greasing the pan

1/2 Tbsp cacao powder

2 eggs

1/2 Tbsp kirsch

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract, divided

125 ml (1/2 cup) whipping cream

1 Tbsp sugar

slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF (fan forced). Put the chocolate and brown sugar in the bowl of the food processor, fitted with the metal blade.

Heat up the amarena syrup in the microwave until it is very hot.

Turn on the food processor and process until the chocolate has been chopped.

With the motor running, add the hot amarena syrup…

…and the butter, in cubes…

…and the eggs…

…and the cocoa powder…

…and the Kirsch…

…and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and finally 1/2 tsp almond extract.

You should now have obtained a smooth batter.

Butter 3 or 4 holes of a muffin tin (each hole should be about 125 ml or 1/2 cup). Cut circles of parchment paper as big as the bottom of the holes, and line the bottom of the holes with them. Then butter the parchment paper as well. This will make sure that the tartlets will come out properly.

Scoop the batter into the holes…

…and flatten the tops. I made only three, but there is enough batter for four as the tartlets will rise.

Bake for 20 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF, or until the top is cracked and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with crumbs attached.

Allow the tartlets to cool in the tin.

Turn over the tin onto a cutting board and lift up the tins. The tartlets should be left behind.

Remove the parchment paper.

Admire your chocolate tartlets and resist to eat them right away.

Since mine had risen a bit too much, I needed to trim the edges. The scraps are of course a treat for the pastry chef.

This starts to look really good, but we are not finished yet.

Pour the whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk.

Add the sugar…

…and the vanilla extract.

Now whisk at high speed…

…until the cream is thick. The French call this chantilly.

Cut the cherries in half. Decorate the chocolate tartlets with the whipped cream, the cherries, and slivered almonds.

Serve at once or store in the refrigerator, taking them out half an hour before serving.

Wine pairing

This goes well with a fruity red full-bodied dessert wine, such as port, banyuls or recioto della valpolicella. The red fruitiness goes well with the cherries.

Flashback

Basil is notoriously difficult to keep because the leaves are not very robust and can’t withstand refrigerator temperatures — they turn black when kept below 12ºC/55ºF or so. But outside of the fridge basil wilts easily, as shown in the picture above. If it is only just a bit limp but not completely dry or black, it can be rescued with a very simple trick! This also works for parsley or cilantro.