A heart shaped dessert is great for Valentine's Day, or any special day you want to show your love and appreciation.
This dessert torte layered with cherries and fudge is a special touch that friends and family will surely appreciate. Make this dessert for a variety of occasions: Valentine's Day, Christenings, engagement parties, or anniversary parties.
Ingredients:
- 1 package of refrigerated pie crusts, 2 nine inch crusts (if you can't find a package of crusts substitute two frozen crusts in aluminum pie pans) Or, use your favorite pie crust recipe
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese (softened) or equivalent amount in softened tub
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup hot fudge topping
- 1 (21 ounce can) cherry pie filling
Reserve a small amount (1/8 cup) of cherry pie filling (minus cherries) to add light swirl decorative half moons to top of cake.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Let crust stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the crust from pouch or pie tin and press or roll out fold lines. Do not over work crust or the finished product will be dry and brittle and lacking in good crust flakiness.
- Then, make your heart-shaped paper cut-out to use as pattern. Cut a piece of paper (wax paper works well) into a heart shape about 10 ½ inches high and 10 inches wide.
- Sprinkle approximately 1 tsp flour over the crust. Turn the crust, floured side down, on to an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Use the patterned heart to cut pie crust. Generously prick heart crust with fork.
- Bake in oven for 9 to 12 minutes, or until light brown. Let cool. Repeat with other crust.
- Combine the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and almond extract in a small bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth. Add the heavy cream, and beat until thick.
- Place one heart-shaped pie crust on a serving plate and spread with 1/3 cup hot fudge topping. Carefully spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the hot fudge topping. Spoon two thirds of the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese.
- Spread the second crust with remaining hot fudge topping and place this crust on top of first crust. Then, spread the remaining cream cheese mixture over the hot fudge topping. Spoon the remaining cherry pie filling about 1 inch from the edge of crust, making a cherry outline.
- Refrigerate until top is firm, and swirl with reserved filling light half moons inside of cherry heart outline. Place again in refrigerator until serving time, and store any leftovers in refrigerator.
This dessert can be made up to two days ahead of time.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
The copyright of the article Chocolate-Cherry Heart in Dessert Recipes is owned by Ellen Wilson. Permission to republish Chocolate-Cherry Heart in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
 |
