My father in law gets fresh cherries every year from his cousin in California. In years past I've eaten them raw, one by one until I'm blue (er red) in the face. This year I would like to be a little more creative and make something out of them. Any ideas? What is everybody's favorite cherry desert. Personally, I love cherry cheesecake but I got enough cherries for a truckload of cheesecakes so I need some other ideas.
You can go with Cherry Sauce that would go on Cheesecake, and I have done Cherry Jelly and Cherry Jam some years. If you go the full nine yards with the canning you can preserve them for 1-2 years.
What about cherry cookies? These cookies are quick, easy and delicious. They taste good plain, or with a light frosting. INGREDIENTS: 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 cup butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup pitted, cut cherries DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 2. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside. 3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour then add the cherry mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. 4. Roll small round balls of dough and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool.
Growing up in Cajun Country, we'd pick wild cherries to make Cherry Bounce. The recipe works great with bing cherries, though. 1 clean jug or jar with lid 1 quart of cherries 1 lb of sugar 1 fifth of bourbon (brandy or vodka work well, too) wash and pick over the cherries, removing stems. drain. pour 1 c of sugar over moist cherries and shake until well coated. pour remaining sugar on top of cherries, but do not mix place cap loosely on the jug let stand until sugar melts on top of cherries, then stir by swirling the jug repeat until all sugar is dissolved. let stand for 2 months. pour bourbon over the cherries and close the jug tightly let stand for 3-5 months, revolving the jug occasionally. strain through cheesecloth and decant. makes about a 1/2 gallon You can throw a cinnamon stick and a couple of cloves in there if you'd like, but not necessary. as kids, we'd get a little bit on vanilla ice cream every now and then. It's nice on it's own, and also makes a great addition to cherry pie fillings or marinades for the grill. Cheers, j
Thanks for the ideas everybody. I think I will try the cherry cookies and I will also make some cherry cobbler. I rarely consume any alcohol anymore because they don't mix well with the pain meds I take for my back. I may make one jar of the cherry bounce though. It sounds like it would be real good. I have 20 pounds of cherries so I guess I will preserve the rest. I found an easy recipe on line for cherry preserves. JLS what part of Cajun Country are you from? My Cajun roots are from Port Barre. I still have relatives in Opelousas and Lafayette too.
