Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte is a chocolate based dessert heavy on the cherries. It served as inspiration for my black forest rusks which are full of chocolate and cherries. As I used a sugar free 80% dark chocolate, these are not overly sweet.
Skip ahead to the recipe for Black Forest Rusks
Full disclosure
These rusks did not start off as black forest rusks. I wanted to make a panettone rusk for Christmas. But, the use of the coconut sugar made them slightly too dark. And, I should not have used cherries. But, as I had some dried I decided they would be good in rusks. The next confession is that I dried the cherries out slightly more, before putting them into the rusk batter. This was a huge mistake, as they were slightly overbaked. But, the rusks themselves were so good that I felt I had to share the recipe with you. And, I don’t remake a recipe unless it needs perfecting, and these were pretty perfect as they were. So, if you make them with softer dried cherries, they should be awesome.
Non disclosure
Last month marked the first time in my life I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. I had no objection to signing it, and I have no need to share the information that was contained within the agreement. But, I found it quite ironic that my signature needed to be witnessed. So, even though I have not told anybody about the contents, two people have seen the physical document. And, they have not signed to say they won’t share what was contained therein. They have only signed as witness to my signature. I find this so at odds with the nature of the stipulation. Have you ever signed a non-disclosure agreement? And if so, did you have to have your signature witnessed?
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Black Forest Rusks ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Black Forest Rusks
Ingredients
- 150 g butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 333 g self raising flour, sieved
- 150 g dried cherries
- 120 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 100 mls milk
- 100 g coconut sugar
- 5 mls baking powder
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius
- Place the butter into a stand mixer bowl and cream until light
- Add the egg and beat until combined
- Add the flour, cherries, chocolate, milk, sugar, and baking powder
- Mix to combine then place the mixture into a lined brownie tin and flatten with a palette knife
- Cut the batter into 24 rusks
- Place the tin into the oven and bake for 45 minutes then remove the tin from the oven
- Reduce the oven temperature to 100° Celsius, break the rusks apart and place directly onto the wire rack of your oven
- Bake for 3 hours then turn the oven off and leave the rusks in the oven to dry out overnight
- Remove the rusks from the oven and store in an airtight container to retain the crunch
See the links below for blog posts I published on March 12:
- 2024: Orange And Almond Mug Cake
- 2023: Dark Vector
- 2021: Peppermint Caramel Tart
- 2018: Set Custard
- 2017: Heist
- 2015: Butter
- 2014: Cook From The Heart
- 2013: Summer Berry Terrine
- 2012: An Evening With The Winemaker, John Faure
Interesting! I’ve never made rusks possibly because in UK rusks are baby food. But yours don’t look like UK rusks.
These are definitely not baby food 😉
The rusks recipe looks most interesting but then most of yours always are that tad ‘different’. 80% dark chocolate is just on the borderline for my evening TV snacking . . . interesting how it tastes when baked. Schwarzwalder Torte is unbelievably special to me > my family and I lived as refugees for the last year of WWII in Freudenstadt, Schwartzwald. Getting anything to eat was bar impossible but Mom made fast friends with a wonderful young German woman in a food store who always managed to find something edible ‘runter’ > hidden under the counter. Coming to Australia the two remained friends with regular letters to and fro. When I married, I wanted my husband to see the beautiful Black Forest – Anni had married and moved to a small village outside town – her husband was the owner and chef of the loveliest of country inns. Guess what > his father had been the creator of the FIRST Schwarzwalder and he baked one for us as a greeting 🙂 ! My husband did not speak German so I had to talk for two whist he DEMOLISHED more than half the glory . . . all these years later and the only one alive, I still remember 🙂 !
What a lovely memory, especially at such a dark time in your life! Thank you for sharing it with me 🙂
These look fun. I would need butter! I’ve been to the Black Forest and it’s beautiful. They really celebrate the cherry there!
This was a gentle reminder of our time there as well 🙂
That sounds marvelous! I don’t believe I’ve ever made a rusk before and would have trouble defining it. I, too, thought of them as a teething treat for babies. Now I want to do a deep dive on that history and evolution.
I hope you give these a try!
This is the perfect treat to dip into coffee, and I love that you made the dried cherries at home!
Thanks Balvinder 🙂
I’ve never made rusks…they look rustic and hearty.
That describes them perfectly 🙂
Hi Tandy, these risks look very nice. An interesting idea for rusks. I have signed many Non disclosure agreements but my signature has never been witnessed by a third party. That is just weird.
I thought so too!
that’s funny you mention signing an NDA. I just saw a video where someone mentioned being at a social event, and someone wanted him to sign one!! Oh my, these people… So up themselves. I do enjoy chocolate and cherries together. Rusks to me are baby food also, as the person above says. So i was a bit surprised to see this recipe but obvs yours are not baby food!!
sherry
For sure not baby food! And how funny to be at a social event and be asked to sign a NDA – I wonder what was going to happen there?
I can see how rusks would be perfect to serve with coffee, especially if dunking is involved. Your recipe takes rusks to a whole new level, with perfect flavours of chocolate and cherries. Definitely food for thought, thanks for sharing Tandy. I don’t think I’ve ever signed a non-disclosure agreement, as such. Sounds like there could be more of them in the future. Pauline (Happy Retirees Kitchen) I tried to reply on my phone, when I was in the drs. waiting room a couple of days ago, sadly I lost the comment. Finally, here it is.
Sorry to hear you were at the Doctor! Hope all is OK 🙂
Such a lovely bake, Tandy! I really like the Black Forest twist here – chocolate and cherries sound perfect for these rusks.
I could do with one right now!