Tag Archives: cherry recipes

Cherry Almond Coffee Cake

My grandmother was a wonderful baker. One of my favorite memories of her kitchen would be that she always had fresh baked goods ready for guests. In her day, guests would just stop by for a cup of coffee unannounced. Grandma was always ready to entertain. Today, guests usually announce themselves by phone and text and there is a little time to prepare. I like to also greet my guests with fresh baked goods like my grandmother did. I love this cake because I usually have the ingredients in my pantry and fridge. It reminds me of the lovely cakes I would enjoy when I traveled to Italy. If I don’t have dried cherries, I use dried cranberries, raisins apricots or peaches chopped. If I don’t have pine nuts or almonds I use pecans or walnuts and then just add vanilla extract in place of the almond extract. The recipes is always perfect with coffee!

From by the bay wishing you delicious cake and coffee food memories!

Maryann

blog almond cake snow

Cherry, Almond, Pine Nut Crumb Cake

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis from Everyday Italian

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted, plus 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, plus 1/4 cup
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries or apricots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
Combine the whole almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. Add the butter, and milk. Stir in the almond extract and cherries. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts. Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Turn the cake out, slice, and serve.

Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Cherry Sauce

A good friend of my recently took me to a Lebanese restaurant and we were delighted with the food and the wide variety of small plates offered. This is my version of our favorite dish we experienced that evening. These lamb meatballs are flavorful little bites that work terrific as an appetizer, to serve at a cocktail party or just to make an easy sandwich, a few in a pita bread with some greek yogurt, sliced cucumber and mint. It’s a perfect party food since you bake the meatballs, they fry in the oven, using significantly less oil with a really easy clean up. The sauce has a bit of a sweet and sour component from the cherry preserves and lemon juice, but with a middle eastern twist. It’s wonderful mix of flavors. You’ve love this dish!
From by the bay wishing you , sweet and sour food memories!
Maryann
blog lamb meatball
Lamb Meatballs with Tomato Cherry Sauce
Serves 6 to 8

Lamb Meatballs
Ingredients
1 pound ground lamb
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
olive oil spray
Directions 
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well using your hands.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with olive oil spray.  Once the meat mixture has chilled for 30 minutes, remove from refrigerator and dampen your hands and form 28 to 30 meatballs approximately 3/4″ diameter. Place on the lined baking tray. Spray top of the meatballs lightly with olive oil and bake in the heated oven for about 30 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Serve with tomato cherry sauce or just plain as a party appetizer with plain greek yogurt and some chopped mint on the side.
blog lamb meatball 2
Tomato Cherry Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup organic low sodium ketchup
1/4 cup cherry preserves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup scallions, chopped to garnish lamb meatballs with sauce
Directions
Place warm water in a bowl and add dried cherries. Let cherries soak in the water 30 minutes. Strain cherries, adding the water into a medium sauce pan.  To this pan add remaining ingredients except cherries and cook on moderate heat stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add the cherries and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with lamb meatballs. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Dried Cherry, Coconut and Chinese Five Spice Granola

I love lazy winter weekend mornings, when you just want to sit in with a cup of coffee and read the newspaper over breakfast. Home made granola is a terrific breakfast for such mornings. It fills the house with a welcoming aroma and you can make enough granola to last through the week. It’s perfect for topping your yogurt and or fruit. This crunchy granola is easy to make and delicious to eat……it takes about 5 minutes to get the ingredients mixed together and into the oven. There is nothing like a little effort with big results!
From by the bay, wishing you sweet and crunchy food memories!
Maryann

blog 5 spice granola

Dried Cherry, Coconut and Chinese Five Spice Granola


3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 1/2 cups pepita (pumpkin) seeds, unsalted
1/2 cup blanched sliced almonds
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chinese five spice powder
4 tablespoons orange blossom honey
½ cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except the dried fruit into a mixing bowl, combine well. On a parchment lined sheet spread ingredients in 1 layer. Bake for 50 minutes until brown stirring every ten minutes until mixture is browned. Remove from oven and cool granola. Once cooled add dried cherries and coconut. Mix well. Keep in airtight container. It should keep about one week.


Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Biscotti

a CHOCO BISCOTTI

With Thanksgiving over, the shift to Christmas happens immediately! We all know that it also mean’s that Santa Claus is coming to town! Santa loves himself some cookies and this one is a perfect match – big on taste and flavor. These chocolate biscotti cookies are made with almonds and dried cherries and then dipped in dark chocolate to make a delicious cookie perfect for dipping into your coffee or hot chocolate. So get your cookie trays ready because remember the the big fat man is coming……….real soon !

From by the bay, waiting to make food memories for the big fat man!
Maryann

Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Biscotti

24 cookies

1 cup dried cherries

½ cup almond slivers

½ cup unsalted butter

1 tablespoon shortening (Crisco)

3 eggs

1 cup fine sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

½ cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 oz good quality bittersweet dark chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl add dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix and keep to the side. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and shortening until fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time until well combined. Add vanilla until blended. Add dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix well until the dough is smooth. Using a spoon and  mix in the dried cherries and almonds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into two. Shape each half of the dough into a log approximately 2 inch high x 12 inches long.  Place the logs on to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack. Place on a cutting board and using a serrated knife slice each log on the diagonal into 12 pieces approximately 1 inch thick. Place the pieces back on to the baking sheet and bake 8-10  minutes, turn the slices to the other side and bake another 8-10  minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Fill medium pot 1/3 with water and simmer. Add to the top of the pot a glass bowl that sits on the top of the pot to create a bain du marie. Add the chocolate and melt over the simmering water. Don’t let the water touch the glass bowl. Once the chocolate is melted use an offset spatula to cover the end of each cookie. Place chocolate on approximately 1/3 of the cookie on all sides. Allow to set at room temperature on a wire rack . You may also set in the refrigerator for a ½ hour to hasten the process.  Store cookies in an air tight container.

 

Port Soaked Cherries, Blue Cheese and Pistachio Dip

Here is a perfect holiday cheese dip for New Year’s Eve or any festive party. This delicious dip starts with uses fresh cherries soaked in a port wine reduction and then added to a creamy cheese base with the flavor really kicked up by adding some crumbled blue cheese. As if these flavors weren’t enough the dip gets some nice crunch to it’s texture by adding chopped pistachios. This dip has beautiful color – reds and greens mixed together. Serve with some crusty bread or potato chips on the side and enjoy!
From by the bay wishing you festive food memories!
Maryann
blog port cherry dip
Port Soaked Cherries, Blue Cheese and Pistachio Dip
 
Ingredients
1/2 cup port wine
1/4 cup fresh chopped cherries, pitted
1/4 cup roasted and salted pistachio nuts, chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
optional: extra chopped pistachios for garnish
Directions
In a small saucepan add port and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes thickening the liquid and reducing to half. Add the cherries and set aside for an hour. In a food processor add all ingredients except the port, cherries and pistachios. Blend well. Remove from processor and place in a bowl. Strain the cherries from the port and add to the dip along with the chopped pistachios. Fold well to combine all ingredients. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use in an air tight container. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. Sprinkle some chopped pistachios to garnish.