Chocolate Amaretto Torte

​This torte features the gustatory pleasures of amaretto and chocolate with a racy backbone of dried sour cherries. Bake this on a Sunday morning, then keep your oven going to make a braised pork shoulder dinner. While the pork braises, you can look forward to a mouth-watering torte for the final course.

To stay with the amaretto/almond theme, pair your braised pork dinner with a Soave Classico, which is renowned for its luscious almond blossom aroma. Or, go with a Verdicchio from Lombardy or even your favorite pinot noir.

Pair the torte  with -- you guessed it -- Disaronno Amaretto Liqueur. Use the amaretto in the future as a topping over ice cream.

This recipe calls for a double-boiler for melting the chocolate.To create a quick double-boiler, add about an inch of water to a pot and place a glass bowl atop the pot. Add the chocolate to the glass bowl and turn on the stove to medium.

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Butter for spreading on a 9-inch springform pan
1/2 cup fine panko breadcrumbs
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 sticks of butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Disaronno Amaretto Liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup raw almonds, finely ground (or finely chopped with a knife)
8 ounces dried pitted tart cherries (available at Trader Joe's)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Drop the panko breadcrumbs into the pan and shake the pan to coat. Discard excess breadcrumbs.
3. Melt the chocolate over a double-boiler, stirring until the chocolate is smooth. Cool.
4. Place the butter in a mixer and beat for one minute.
5. Add the amaretto liqueur, the vanilla extract, and the sugar; beat well.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula from time to time until you are done using the mixer.
7. Place your mixer on low speed and mix in the chocolate, then the almonds, then the cherries.
8. Add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.
9. Place the batter into your prepared springform pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.
10. Cool the cake completely, removing the sides of the pan after about 20  minutes. Top with ice cream or whipped cream and serve.

Servings: 8