Cherry, Almond & Chocolate Mini Cakes

From the blog For Love of the Table

135 g. unsalted butter (4 3/4 oz., 9 1/2 T.)

170 g. bittersweet (60%) chocolate (6 oz.)

170 g. almond paste (6 oz., 9 T.)

3 large eggs

100 g. sugar (1/2 c.)—see note

30 g. flour (1 oz., 1/4 c.)

1/8 t. salt

100 g. cherries (3 1/2 oz., 3/4 c.), pitted and cut into medium dice

3 T. finely minced almonds (20 g.), lightly toasted

3 T. Turbinado sugar (33 g)

Butter and flour 15 2 oz. ramekins and spread the ramekins on a baking sheet.

Melt the butter and chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the almond paste with one egg with the paddle attachment. When this becomes a smooth mixture, add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the eggs and switch to the whip attachment. Whip until light and fluffy—about a minute.

Turn the machine to low and add the melted chocolate and butter. Mix until combined. Sift the flour over the egg-chocolate mixture, add the salt and scatter 2/3 of the cherries over the dry ingredients. Fold everything together.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the 15 prepared ramekins (using about 50 grams of batter per cake). Scatter the remaining cherry pieces over the cakes, dividing evenly. Combine the toasted almonds and Turbinado sugar and sprinkle a teaspoon of this mixture over each cake. Place the cakes in a 350° oven and bake until a toothpick inserted at the edge comes out clean, but with a few moist crumbs when inserted in the center—depending on your oven somewhere around 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in for five or ten minutes before turning out of the ramekins. Cool on a wire rack. (The cakes will sink slightly in the center as they cool.)

The cakes are delicious warm, room temperature, and chilled.

(Recipe inspired by one at "Cannelle et Vanille")

Notes:

If you do not have any 2 oz. ramekins, you may bake these cakes in a buttered and floured standard-sized muffin pan. You may also bake all of the batter in an 8-inch square baking pan. Butter the pan, line with parchment. Butter the parchment and flour the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into 16 to 24 bars. To cut, use a thin sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.
If you like your chocolate dessert super moist and fudgy, add another 25 grams (2 T.) of sugar to the batter (for a total of 125 g.)

http://www.forloveofthetable.com/2015/06/miniature-chocolate-cherry-almond-cakes.html

As published on forloveofthetable.com