Cherry Almond Cake

A tender buttermilk cake with cherries, an almond streusel topping and sweet almond glaze

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved

To make the Almond Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup almond paste, crumbled
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Pinch of salt

To make the Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan or pie plate. Set aside.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until combined.

4. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Arrange cherries on top of batter.

5. To make the almond streusel topping-in a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, almond paste, butter, and salt. Mix together with your fingers until crumbly. Top the cake with streusel topping.

6. Bake cake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool in pan. T

7. While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, almond extract, and just enough of the milk to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cake and garnish with toasted almond slices, if using.

8. Cut the cake and serve.

Recipe from Twopeasandtheirpod

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Cherry Chip Crisps

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup dried tart cherries 

1 pkg. Nestle Toll House Cherry Filled Delightfulls

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Position 1 rack in bottom third and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend first 4 ingredients in bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs and beat until blended (about a minute).  Add next 4 ingredients.  Continue beating until mixture is blended. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in cherries, Delightfuls and white chocolate chips.

Spoon batter by rounded tablespoonfuls or using a tablespoon size scoop onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart (cookies will spread). Bake until tops of cookies are golden brown, rotating baking sheets after 7 minutes, about 14 minutes total. Transfer cookies to rack; let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

(Recipe adapted from Epicurious)

Sour Cherry & Almond Streusel Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 T almond extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup dried tart cherries
  • Streusel
  • Mix together until crumbly:
  • 1 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed light-brown or confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 4 T unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 c slivered almonds
  • Milk Glaze
  • Combine and whisk until smooth:
  • 1 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 T milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch tube pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla & almond extract on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Spoon about half the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the cherries in a single layer on top of the batter; avoid placing any cherries against the pan's edge, as they may stick or burn if not fully encased in batter. Top with the remaining batter, making sure it is evenly distributed, and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top of the batter.
4. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when touched, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let cake cool 10 to 15 minutes. Invert cake onto rack, then re-invert (so streusel side is up), and let cool completely. Spoon glaze over the cake, letting it drip down sides. Let cake sit until glaze is set, about 5 minutes, before serving. Cake can be kept at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic, for up to 4 days.

This recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Enjoy!

Fresh Ricotta Pie w Cherry Sauce

Ingredients:

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1 pound fresh ricotta

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten, plus 3 large egg yolks, divided

Pinch of coarse salt

1/3 cup chopped candied orange zest

1/3 cup chopped dried cherries

1/4 teaspoon anise seed, ground

1 recipe Pasta Frolla dough

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1/4 cup chopped pistachios, optional

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Cherry Sauce, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment; spray parchment. Mix together ricotta, confectioners' sugar, yolks, salt, zest, cherries, and anise in a bowl.

Let dough sit at room temperature 15 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out smaller disk of dough 1/8 inch thick; using pan as guide, cut out an 8-inch round. Chill until firm. Meanwhile, roll out larger disk to an 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick; fit into bottom and up sides of pan, pressing and patching dough as needed.

Spread filling over dough. Fold sides of dough over filling. Brush beaten egg over folded sides. Top with 8-inch disk; brush with beaten egg and sprinkle evenly with pistachios and granulated sugar. Chill 30 minutes. Bake on a baking sheet until golden, about 1 hour (tent with foil if browning too quickly). Let cool completely on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cut into wedges; serve with sauce.

Pasta Frolla:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until just combined. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg, yolk, vanilla, and zest in a bowl; add to flour mixture and process just until dough comes together.

Turn out onto a floured work surface; knead to form a ball. Divide into two-thirds and one-third. Gently press into flat disks. Wrap each in plastic; chill at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Cherry Sauce:

1 can (14.5 ounces) pitted tart red cherries in water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cherry liqueur, such as Luxardo

Drain cherries, reserving liquid. Place cherries in a heatproof bowl. Bring 2/3 cup reserved cherry liquid and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, swirling until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in liqueur, then pour mixture over cherries. Let cool completely before refrigerating, covered, at least 1 day and up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living's Double Crusted Ricotta Pie

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Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes w Marshmallow Creme Filling

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs

1/3 C. oil

3/4 C. milk or buttermilk

1/2 C. sour cream

2 tsp. almond extract

1 C. Maraschino cherries, roughly chopped

Marshmallow Creme

Almond Buttercream:

1 C. butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

3-4 C. powdered sugar

milk, if needed

20-24 Maraschino cherries with stems for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pan with cupcakes liners.

2. Sift cake mix into a small bowl to remove any lumps and set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine eggs, oil, milk, sour cream and almond extract until smooth.

4. Stir in cake mix.

5. Fold in chopped maraschino cherries.

6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 17-22 minutes.

7. Almond Buttercream: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add almond extract and slowly add in powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. If it becomes too thick, add a little milk.

8. When cupcakes are completely cool, remove some cake from the center of each with a paring knife or cupcake corer.  Fill a pastry bag with the marshmallow creme and fill each cupcake to the top.

9. Pipe frosting onto filled cupcakes and top with sprinkles and more Maraschino cherries, if desired. 

Recipe adapted from Your Cup of Cake.

Enjoy!

Dried Cherry, Almond & Poppy Seed Muffins

I knew I wanted to bake some muffins this morning, but I couldn't decide between Cherry Almond or Almond Poppy Seed.  So, what would any ingenious baker do?  Combine them both of course! These muffins are so moist and yummy, you can't eat just one.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons orange juice
3/4 cup dried tart cherries (about 4 ounces)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 7-ounce package almond paste, crumbled
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, hot
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 12 muffin cups. 

Bring juice to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add cherries; let stand until softened, about 10 minutes.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat almond paste and melted butter in large bowl until well blended (mixture will still have some small pieces of almond paste). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in cherry mixture and orange peel. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake until tester inserted into center of muffins comes out clean but slightly moist to touch, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.

Pear, Dark Cherry & Almond Galette

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg. refrigerated pie crust
1/2 (3-1/2 oz.) pkg. almond paste
4-5 medium Bartlett Pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 C fresh or frozen sweet dark cherries
Fresh lemon juice
2 T all-purpose flour
2 T granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 T heavy cream
Large sugar crystals or turbinado sugar
Honey
Slivered almonds

1. Roll out crust to a 12" circle.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Roll out almond paste to a 7" circle or grate on box grater using largest grate.  Add almond paste to center of pie crust leaving a 2" margin.
3. In a large bowl toss pears with lemon juice, add cherries, flour, sugar and salt. Toss to coat fruit. Place on top of almond paste leaving a 2" margin around the crust.
4. Fold up edges of crust on top of fruit overlapping where necessary.  Note: Crust will not cover the fruit.
5. With a pastry brush, brush heavy cream on crust and sprinkle with sugar.
6. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
7. Let cool on wire rack completely.
8. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with slivered almonds.