I need to use up some cherries

I've been making fewer pies and tarts so the cherries I picked, pitted and froze are aging and I can't let that happen.  We had a pot luck at work so I tried a recipe from "Taste of Home".   They called them Cherry Chewbilees but I didn't find them to be chewy and so I'm renaming them Cherry Cheesecake Bars.  I made a couple of modifications though, which are reflected in the recipe.


Cherry Cheesecake Bars

CHERRIES:

4 cups frozen sour cherries

1 cup sugar

¼ cup corn starch

CRUST AND TOPPING:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup chopped walnuts, divided

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 egg

CHEESECAKE FILLING:

2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Drain the juice from the cherries, keeping the juice and reducing it down to approximately half the original volume.  Mix the sugar and corn starch thoroughly.  Add the cherries and sugar mixture to the reduced cherry juice and bring back up to boiling and the mixture has thickened.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-in. baking pan with foil, letting ends extend up sides; grease foil.

Combine flour and brown sugar in a food processor, then add butter until fine crumbs form. Stir in 1/2 cup nuts, egg, and coconut. Set aside 1/2 cup crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, for filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Spread over hot crust. Bake 15 minutes. Spread cherry filling on top. Combine remaining nuts and reserved crumbs; sprinkle over cherries. Bake 15 minutes more. Cool. Lifting with foil, remove mixture from pan. Cut into bars. 

Cherry Bounce

This isn't my recipe...source is here:  http://piranhabros.blogspot.com/2011/09/door-county-sour-cherries-2011-cherry.html?m=1   I picked some sour cherries today, specifically to make cherry bounce and I had to dig through my email to find the recipe, which is a time consuming thing but is also a bit of a blast from the past.  People I hadn't thought about in years!

Cherry bounce is excellent for sipping although people seem to be a little skeptical when I pull out jars of the stuff in different shapes and sizes. More for me!  The bite comes from the cherries that seem to soak up a lot of alcohol as they age.

I typically use Knob Creek Rye Whisky for bounce, but have also made it with vodka.  I prefer the whisky.  It's very simple to make.


Cherry Bounce

4 cups unpitted sour cherries
2 cups sugar

In a non reactive bowl add cherries and sugar and allow to macerate for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

After 30 minutes add this to a sauce pan and heat until just a simmer, always gently stirring or turning the cherries and the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to cool.

Add this to 750 ml of rye, vodka, cognac, whatever you like, into a large non reactive jar of about 3 quarts or into 3 quart glass jars.

Put the jars in a cool, place, with no direct sunlight. Turn the jars when you remember to do so.  Age as long as you like....

Cherry Cobbler

I grew up in Wisconsin and I've found through my various moves that many parts of the United States aren't as enamored with cherries as though of us who grew up near Door County.  We used to drive there, pick cherries, and then spend time pitting them.  The best pie is cherry pie!

Last year we discovered that a nearby orchard has a row of cherry trees that they don't advertise and we were able to pick enough that we could occasionally make a cherry pie and dream of summer so . They were also outrageously expensive so this year I put two trees in the back yard. There was one cherry on the tree and the birds ate it.

Still, I thought we'd still be able to pick them them but alas, we were notified that there was no crop due to a late spring frost.  So disappointing but today we were partially saved when my neighbors said to come over and pick the cherries on the trees they planted three years ago.   The trees were small, but loaded.  They picked.  We picked.  Now I have enough in the freezer for two precious pies.

But for dessert tonight, after a meal of pesto made from the basil and garlic from our garden, I thought I'd try something slightly different, something that was quicker than pie. Something that didn't need to be rolled.   Cobbler!   This is directly from Epicurious and I didn't change anything....and it was delicious.

Sour Cherry Cobbler
4 cups sour cherries, picked over, rinsed, and drained well
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

PREPARATION

Working over a bowl pit the cherries, discarding the pits and reserving the cherries and any juices in the bowl, and into the cherries stir the cornstarch, 2/3 cups of the sugar, the lemon juice, and almond extract. In a small bowl stir together the flour, the baking powder, the salt, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and the butter, blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal, and stir in 1/4 cup boiling water, stirring until the batter is just combined. In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or flameproof baking dish bring the cherry mixture to a boil, drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto it, and bake the cobbler in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden. Serve the cobbler with the ice cream.

Cherry Nirvana! Oh my!

I love cherries. Cherry pie is my favorite variety of pie. But I needed to branch out a bit. Our friend Dicky picked some cherries last fall and gave me a bag of frozen cherries. I've been waiting for a special occasion to use them and Easter dinner fit the bill. I used a combination of two different recipes from Epicurious. The cherry mixture, with my changes in brackets, is from a cherry cobbler recipe. The topping is from a plum cobbler recipe. Combined they are NIRVANA! I didn't need to bother with dinner. And I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow too!

Cherry Cobbler

For cherry filling:
1 cup sugar [I used 2/3 c because I don't like it overly sweet]
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 cups fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries (about 3 1/2 pints fresh, picked over) [I had 6 c of frozen strawberries. By the time I'd pitted them, I was down to about 5 -- I kept all the juice I could]
1 tablespoon Frangelico or Di Saronno Amaretto [I used about 1/2 tsp almond extract]
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice [I skipped this, didn't have it]

Topping
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 large egg

Make filling:

In a large heavy saucepan whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add fresh or frozen cherries, liqueur, vanilla, and allspice and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer mixture, stirring, 2 minutes and transfer to a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Meanwhile, prepare biscuits:

Whisk flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in large bowl to blend. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until coarse meal forms. Whisk whipping cream and egg in small bowl to blend. Stir cream mixture into flour mixture just until blended. Gently knead in bowl until dough comes together, about 5 turns.

Drop topping by rounded tablespoons onto cherry filling (do not completely cover it) and bake in middle of oven 30-40 minutes, or until topping is golden and and tester inserted into center of biscuits comes out clean. Transfer cobbler to a rack to cool slightly.


Eat, enjoy. Ahhhhhh!