Perhaps you’ll serve this dessert for New Year’s Eve, or an elegant dinner party. Perhaps making this torte will provide an opportunity to use up that extra can of whole cranberry sauce from your pantry. Whenever you do enjoy Cranberry Chocolate Torte be prepared for a rich, complex and decadent, dark chocolate flavor sensation.
 
You should also be prepared to dirty ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ to create this torte. But the delicious results are well worth the need for so many tools!
 
V.O.E. (Voice of Experience): Now that there’s a kiddo in our family who is sensitive to nuts, I substitute vanilla for the original almond extract from the very old original recipe, and I don't add ½ cup of crushed almonds in the batter.

The original version also called for currant jelly as part of the glaze. But because I have no other reason to use this jelly, I set aside ¼ cup of cranberry sauce, instead. 
 
Cranberry Chocolate Torte
Makes 10 servings
 
16-ounce can of cranberry sauce with whole cranberries
   (V.O.E. with 1/4 cup set aside for the glaze)
1/2 cup ground almonds, optional
1/4 cup sifted flour
7 ounces dark sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
*See instructions with photos, below*
 
Equipment
 
Cheesecake pan
Hand/stand mixer
Large saucepan and
      stainless steel bowl (for melting chocolate/butter)
2 large mixing bowls
1 medium bowl (for cranberries)
Large measuring cup
Rubber or silicone spatula
Large mixing spoon
Measuring spoons
Small saucepan for glaze
 
Glaze
 
¼ cup whole cranberry sauce, crushed (V.O.E. - a potato masher works well for this step. For a smoother glaze liquefy cranberry sauce in a food processor)
1-2 tablespoons red wine
 
Combine cranberry sauce and wine in small saucepan over medium heat. Brush the chilled torte with warm topping and then allow to set before serving. 

​TORTE INSTRUCTIONS: 
Above: Place cranberries in small bowl and stir gently until slightly liquid. Measure flour into another small bowl. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally to blend. Remove from heat and set aside.

​​Above: In large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and light. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to egg yolks, beating until just mixed. Add chocolate-butter mixture and blend gently. Stir in cranberries and vanilla extract by hand.

​​Above: In large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and light. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to egg yolks, beating until just mixed. Add chocolate-butter mixture and blend gently. Stir in cranberries and almond extract by hand.

​Beat egg whites until they hold their shape but are not dry. Fold egg whites into cranberry batter. Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 55 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely while still in pan. Place in refrigerator until chilled (about 1 hour). When ready to serve, remove from springform pan and add glaze.​

There's a lot of story behind this recipe for Ruby Chocolate Liqueur - a spinoff of one created by Rosemary Malloy. It began with an idea for a chocolate and wine pairing class. I would team up with Cindy Reynolds, co-owner of Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery (with her husband, Dennis). I would also incorporate Somerset Ridge Ruby Port into a homemade liqueur. The first class didn't meet our expectations so we decided not to continue.

But it wasn't our first collaboration. Many years earlier, Cindy and I had spent a couple hours creating Somerset Ridge wine and balsamic vinegar combos, at The Tasteful Olive in downtown Overland Park. They included:
 
-Ambrosia dessert wine with peach balsamic vinegar
-Citron (made from white wine, organic lemons and brandy) and apricot balsamic
-Avalon (apple dessert wine) and cranberry pear balsamic
-Ruby Port with chocolate balsamic
-Tawny Port and espresso balsamic

Before our new class took place I created this liqueur recipe after three tries, using that delicious Ruby Port. Today, I tweaked the recipe again, by adding more port. With deep dark chocolate flavor complementing sweet port, it's even better now!

Ruby Chocolate Liqueur
Makes 2-3 cups 
 
Equipment

• 1 large pot
• Sieve or sifter
• Large whisk
• Rubber or silicone spatula
• Large funnel
• Clean glass bottle or jar with tight fitting lid

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa

(to improve incorporation, sift the cocoa before using)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup whole milk (may substitute up to ½ cup 2% milk)
• 2/3 cups heavy cream 
• 1 cup Somerset Ridge Ruby Port

 
Instructions
1. In a large pot whisk together the sugar and cocoa, then add the milk and cream. Combine well.
 
2. When the mixture is well combined place the pot over medium heat, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil and slow the boil for 5 minutes, whisking often.
 
3. Remove from the heat and let cool. In the first 5-10 minutes of cooling, stir occasionally to break up any ‘skin’ that may form on top of the mixture.
 
4. Once it has fully cooled add the port and mix to combine completely. Pour into a large glass container with a removable lid. Using a funnel helps enormously with this part of the process. 

5. Store in the refrigerator. Shake and bring to room temperature, before serving.

Above: Use a sifter or sieve to smooth the cocoa powder texture.

Above: Incorporating all ingredients before heating. Once you begin whisking over heat, be prepared to do so for at least 10 minutes.

If you're able, consider whisking with your non-dominant hand a bit, to minimize strain on your dominant wrist. It's a strategy I started using decades ago, when early symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome emerged - and I've been somewhat ambidextrous ever since!

Above: ​Time to add the port. And remember to use your funnel!

In case you're wondering, this recipe for Grandma's Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies didn't come from my Grandma. I found it online  earlier this year, and likely in a link from a food-focused e-newsletter. It's easy to create this simple batter, which yielded about three dozen cookies that I am now storing in our refrigerator.

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Medium saucepan
Measuring cup
Large mixing spoon
Rubber or silicone spatula
Measuring spoons

V.O.E. (Voice of Experience): Parchment paper and two baking sheets​

I doubt organic sugar was available at the time this recipe emerged, either. And (V.O.E.), since the organic sugar I typically use is more granular than traditional sugar, I used a combination of the two sugars.

​V.O.E.: I also reduced the amount of sugar from the original recipe by 1/4 cup, which still left a very sweet taste on my tongue. Perhaps adding 1/4 cup more cocoa powder would have pleasantly enhanced the flavor, as well as the texture (see below). ​

Above: Stirring and incorporating the chocolate mixture.

Above: Incorporating the chocolate mixture with the oatmeal and peanut butter yielded a fairly liquid consistency; perhaps because I reduced the amount of recommended sugar. With or without a cocoa powder for sugar substitution, I would also reduce the amount of milk in this recipe by at least a few tablespoons.

​V.O.E.: But, this time around, I chilled the final batter for about 15 minutes before distributing dollops across two parchment-topped cookie sheets. 

The first thing to know about this luscious Cajeta Cream Cheese Brownie Tart is you'll need some specialty ingredients and/or good-quality substitutions.

V.O.E. (Voice of Experience) I did a little of each - purchasing cajeta (goats milk caramel) from a Mexican grocery store but pairing plenty of cinnamon with my favorite Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, to approximate the flavor of Mexican chocolate.

And we loved the results! Creamy, chocolatey and with just the right amount of cajeta flavor. 

Your most important piece of equipment is a tart pan with a removable bottom. I didn't have one but our older daughter quickly found one for me online. Then, since I stay away from cooking spray, I liberally covered the pan with melted butter instead and it worked great. 

Equipment

Tart pan
Sheet pan
Saucepan
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Whisk and/or large mixing spoon 
​Rubber or silicone spatula

Above: Cubed butter waiting for the brownie batter to cook.

Above: Adding flour to the brownie batter. V.O.E. - Although I used a whisk per instructions in the original recipe, I will use a large mixing spoon next time, as I found the batter quite thick for a whisk.
​
V.O.E. - As noted in a previous recipe, I don't own a sifter so funneled the cocoa powder through my sieve, instead. Stirring it down with a spoon helped to speed up the process.

Just like I do in ALL recipes, I also used whole wheat pastry flour in this batter-which has lower gluten content than other flour does but with higher fiber than all-purpose flour. 

Above: After mixing the cajeta cream cheese layer, it poured nicely on top of the brownie layer. 

​V.O.E. - Because I found the set aside brownie mixture quite dense, I might thoroughly integrate a teaspoon of olive oil next time, to improve its incorporation into the cajeta cream cheese layer.