A Three-Layer, Whipped-Cream-Crowned Black Forest cherry Cake is an IconOf German Pastry Making. These Muffins Are Easier to MakeAnd Portion-Controlled And, if You Soak The cherries in a Bit of kirsch,You Echo The Tastes of The Cake.
- 2 Ounces (60 Grams) unsweetened chocolate, Chopped
- 1 3/4 Cups flour
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Cup unsalted butter, at Room Temperature
- 1 Cup Firmly Packed brown sugar
- 1 Large egg
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Cup buttermilk, at Room Temperature
- 3/4 Cup dried cherries
- 1/2 Cup Toasted pecans or hazelnuts
Position a Rack in The Middle of The Oven, And Preheat it to 375Degrees. Grease 12 Standard Muffin Cups.
(do Not Use Paper Liners or You Will Lose Most of The Excellent CrunchyExterior of The Muffins.)
Place The chocolate in The Top of a double boiler Placed Over (but NotTouching) Barely Simmering water.
Heat, Stirring Often, Until The chocolate Melts. Remove it From Over TheWater And Set Aside to Cool Slightly.
In a Bowl, Stir Together The flour, baking soda And salt. Set Aside.In a Large Bowl, Beat The butter on Low Speed Until Creamy. GraduallyBeat in The brown sugar Until Smooth.
Beat in The egg, vanilla And chocolate. Add The Dry Ingredients in 3Batches Alternately With The buttermilk, And Mix on Low Speed Just UntilSmooth.
Fold in The cherries And Nuts. Spoon The Batter Into The Prepared MuffinCups, Filling Each Cup About 3/4 Full.
Bake Until a Toothpick Inserted Into The Center of a Muffin Comes OutClean, 20-25 Minutes. Let Cool in The Pan on a Wire Rack For 2 Minutes.Then Turn Out Onto The Rack. Serve Warm. Store in an Airtight ContainerAt Room Temperature For up to 2 Days.
Makes 12 Muffins.
Source : Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Baking