Chocolate Decadence or Sachertorte Squares

Tomorrow is Teacher Appreciation Day. At the Elementary School. 

All 3 of my kids have gone to this school. And they survived. And they learned a few things. 

And the teachers survived. 

I'll be sad when Grace finally moves on because we love this school. 

The faculty is like an extension of our family.

I have several of the teachers (and the principal) cell phone numbers. That's how much they care.

And I've been wanting to make this recipe. It's from the 

Hershey's 100th Anniversary Cookbook. 

The cookbook I'm going to have to give back to my friend soon.

What better people to make this for than the people who helped raise my children. Teaching them math, reading, social studies and life skills.

To all teachers, thank you for what you do!

These are truly decadent, keep your squares on the small side, the flavor is beyond description and the raspberry/chocolate combination is perfect!

Sachertorte Squares

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup seedless preserves, apricot or raspberry

Satiny Chocolate Glaze

Sliced almonds or decorative pearls for garnish

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil. 

In medium saucepan, on low heat, melt butter. 

Add sugar and cocoa; 

stir until well blended. 

Remove from heat and add eggs, 

one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Stir in vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the chocolate mixture, 

beating until well blended. 

Spread batter into your foil lined pan. 

Be sure to spread evenly. 

Bake 16-20 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched in center. 

Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan to wire rack to cool completely. 

Do not remove from foil.

Cut cake in half lengthwise then crosswise, forming 4 rectangles. 

Spread preserves over one side of cake. 

Fold over other side to form a sandwich.

Now at this point I wrapped my filled cake back up in the foil, pressed the halves together firmly and put it in the freezer. Remember, I figured this out making Petit Fours.

Cutting a frozen cake into small pieces will give you sharper edges.

Leave it there over night (I actually left it there for 5 days, but over night is fine.)

Cut into small squares,

 place on wire rack with wax paper beneath to catch drips while glazing. 

.

Satiny Chocolate Glaze

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons Hershey's cocoa

2 tablespoons water

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add cocoa and water, (I ran out of the regular cocoa so I used the Special dark cocoa, the color was almost black, the taste unbelievable!)

Stir/whisk constantly until mixture thickens. Do not boil. Remove from heat. gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating with a whisk until smooth. You want it to be the consistency of room temperature thick syrup. If it pours off your spoon, add some more sugar. If it plops instead of flowing, add just a bit more water. 

Now spoon over squares

or get really smart like I did (eventually) and get out a bottle

It went so fast with the bottle.

Just cover your tops, you want everyone to see there is something in the middle.

And yes, I made 2 batches, one with the raspberry filling and one with

Chocolate Ganache 

This glaze was wonderful, it flowed like a 20 second icing (for cookie decorating) see my post 

on Cookie decorating

All those air bubbles covered perfectly for a satiny glaze, probably why they call it that!

If your glaze starts to thicken and not flow well, just place back on the stove over low heat for a minute or two, or if using a bottle, place the bottle in a hot water bath for a few minutes.

I linked this recipe up at Everyday Mom's Meals Church Supper