Did you know that May 26th is National Cherry Dessert Day? It’s True! Cherries, the fruit of the beautiful and fragrant cherry tree, range from sweet to sour and have many culinary uses, both savory and sweet. However, today is all about the sweet stuff as we dive into desserts featuring this fantastic fruit.
Here are some wonderful recipes to try, courtesy foodandwine.com:
1. Cherry Clafoutis
“In France, there’s almond flour in everything—except clafoutis,” Belinda Leong says about the rustic dessert of fruit baked in batter. Bucking tradition, she includes the flour in her clafoutis to add texture to the custardy interior.
2. Cherry Pudding Cups
This light and delicate buttermilk custard is perfect when topped with juicy, sweet cherries and tangy lime zest.
3. Cherry Hand Pies
Puff pastry makes quick and impressive work of these buttery, sweet cherry-filled hand pies.
4. Oatmeal-Cherry Cookies
These buttery oatmeal cookies are made with sour cherries in syrup—a juicy, sweet-tart alternative to the usual raisins. You can use Amarena cherries or, for a more grown-up indulgence, brandied cherries.
5. Cherries Poached in Red Wine with Mascarpone Cream
Thick mascarpone cheese mixed with honey makes a luscious topping for poached cherries. You can serve the dessert either warm or cold. We love it both ways.
Another bonus to focusing on cherries in your desserts is that they are a very healthful fruit, ranging in calories from just about 60-80 per 3.5 ounce portion. Cherries are also high in vitamin C, carbohydrates, and water, and include trace amounts of fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), niacin, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium.
If you’re planning to make your own cherry dessert to commemorate the occasion, know that cherries can be purchased – and used – in a variety of forms including fresh, frozen, canned (as for pies), and even dried (which can be used in baked breads and cookies, and definitely make a tasty snack all on their own).
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