London Calling...

Cherry season is so short, about 3-4 weeks actually, that when I see them starting to appear in the markets I can hardly contain myself.  I go on cherry overload and I know I'm not alone.  I buy bags and bags of them, but then a few days pass and I realize I haven't touched them.  Like most people, I was brought up not to waste food and in professional kitchens, that is a cardinal sin.

There are a couple of pounds of cherries in my fridge and I've eaten my fair share of them as is, but I'd like to actually make something with them!  Hmmmm...  gears turning, little librarian in my head frantically thumbing through cookbooks, whizzing past shelf after shelf on the rolling ladder...

Cherry pie, cherry cobbler, cherry muffins, cherries jubilee, cherry crisp... Cherry ice cream, cherry slushies, cherry lemonade, cherry jam, cherry tart, black forest cake, peach raspberry galette, cherry crostata... 

The cherry recipes are endless and all sound like a great idea, but then it hits me.  The Olympics are in less than a week and in LONDON!  Cherry scones it is!   

I don't own a scone pan, but if you do feel free to break it out.  I simply don't have room for many single purpose items.  The other option with these is to pat the dough out to roughly an inch thick and cut scones from there. Lightly flour the counter,  shape dough into a rectangle, cut into squares and cut squares on the diagonal to form triangles.

However, if you also have little to no counter space scooping may be the way to go.

Put on a pot of tea and pass the clotted cream & jam please...

Cherry Scones
-yields 15 mini scones

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 6 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• 1 lg egg
• 1 1/2 c. cherries, pitted and chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut butter into small pieces and place in freezer. 
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together all dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg and sour cream until completely smooth.  Set aside.

Add chilled butter to dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add wet ingredients and pulse until just combined.   Do not overmix!

Remove dough from food processor and put in large bowl.  Add cherries and mix just until incorporated.   Try to be as gentle as possible with this as the cherries will bleed a bit when pressed too much and the dough will become tough if overworked.

Using a medium (3oz) cookie scoop,  scoop out dough and place on baking pan lined with parchment paper.  Very lightly press down the top and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar. 

Return tray to refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.   Bake for 13 - 15 minutes.

Cheaper than Therapy...

Songwriters often say that they do their best work when they are going through something difficult in their lives.  They channel those feelings and pour them into lyrics that move us to our very core.
I don't write music...  I sequester myself to the confines of my kitchen.

Being in the kitchen is cathartic for me, it always has been.  Looking back, I've realized that it is one of the reasons I love baking. 

It brings me comfort in times of sadness, calms me when I'm stressed or anxious, reassures me when I've had a particularly rough day. 

Baking is my therapy and let's face it...  it's cheaper than $150 dollars an hour and much tastier.

I find solace in the kitchen, the familiar smells and sounds, the warmth of the oven...  being able to "shut off" my brain and do things on autopilot also brings a certain sense of comfort.

Once again, I find myself puttering about in the kitchen late at night when the rest of world is fast asleep.  

I wanted to make a cherry clafouti and thus began the research.  I read that traditionally the French use whole cherries because the pits give an almond flavor to the dessert.   My thoughts were something like this:  "I like the people I'm going to feed & would rather they didn't need an emergency dental appointment after eating my food". 

I wanted to use almond extract to impart that flavor, I knew I had some, but where...  So,  after about 5 minutes of searching I decided since I had almond flour, I would use that instead.

Thanks to a friend of mine, I had a few jars of sour cherries (sans pits!) that were calling to me from the cupboard.  They were begging to be used in some late night venture and needing to oblige, they were promptly removed from their dark shelf and opened.

ps~ made a second batch with a few drops of the afformentioned almond extract, both ways were delicious. 

Cherry Clafouti

• 4 large eggs
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 lb cherries (I used sour cherries in syrup, drained, syrup reserved)
• 2 tbsp butter + flour for pan
• powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter and flour a deep 9 inch pan or an extra large muffin tin. (Using the muffin tins instead of one big dessert is nice to give everyone their own individual dessert or as little give away treats for friends).
2. Combine eggs, yolks, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, milk & cream in blender.  Blend for a few seconds to combine, then add almond flour and AP flour.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Pour batter into pan or if using muffin tin, evenly distribute batter, top with cherries.
4. Place in oven and immediately turn down heat to 325 degrees.  Bake for approximately 30 - 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.  Use reserved syrup to decorate serving plate if desired.

Cherry Clafouti

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries...

Summer is in full swing and that means stone fruit!  Cherries, peaches, plums, etc. are all in season now and there is nothing like biting into a perfectly ripe peach, juice running down your chin, face lifted to the sky & sunshine warming your cheeks. 
However, taking that fruit and turning it into a cobbler or crisp isn't a bad option either...  especially since it requires little effort and that is what most of us with hectic lives and schedules need.

In honor of the Cherry Festival held in Traverse City, Michigan I thought I'd give a nod to the Wolverine state with a Cherry Crisp.

Cherries are so beautiful with their glossy, dark ruby skin and I love the snap of it breaking open when you bite into it.  Their season is short, so when they are around get them while the gettin's good!

farm-stand cherries

Cherries are also full of health benefits, they are a good source of fiber and vitamin C.  They also contain anthocyanins which act as a natural antioxidant and also an anti-inflamatory. 
So now that you know how good they are for you, grab a bag of cherries and make a crisp for the ones you love.


Cherry Crisp
  For the filling:

• 2 cups cherries, pitted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

- First step is to pit the cherries.  A cherry/olive pitter isn't imperative, but it certainly helps.

pitted cherries & my weapon of mass destruction...

 



-Combine cherries, sugar & flour. 

-Divide evenly into 4 ramekins (or a small baking dish).

   For the crumb topping:    

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

- Combine flour, oats, brown sugar & cinnamon in a medium bowl. 

- Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (the fastest way is to use your fingers).

ready for the oven

- Sprinkle evenly over filling.

-Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

golden brown deliciousness

           

Life is just a bowl of cherries...This idiom means that life is pleasant, but one can interpret it a couple different ways. Sometimes life is sweet and sometimes it's just the (cherry) pits. Thankfully today is not the latter.