Katherine has a jar of cherries and needs some help using them up! Want to help?
I was at Trader Joe's this weekend and on impulse I bought a jar of Dark Morello Cherries in Light Syrup. What do I do with these? The ingredients are: cherries, water, sugar and glucose syrup. Maybe in a sauce for meat or tempeh? Could I flambé them? Help!
Katherine, these cherries are very easy to use. First of all, you can eat them straight out of the jar with a spoon; we highly recommend that. But if you want to do something more sophisticated, here are some ideas.
• Pour out the syrup and reduce by half, then add the cherries and cook until heated through. This makes a great all-purpose cherry sauce for ice cream. You can also add a tablespoon of rum or brandy.
• Serve over rice pudding, chocolate pudding, panna cotta, custard, or another winter dessert.
• Serve over your morning oatmeal or yogurt.
• Drain the juice completely and use the cherries in a crisp or cobbler.
• Drain the juice and put the cherries in a cake.
We aren't very experienced with flambéing, so we'll leave that for reader comment. We will say, though, that alcohol would need to be added; you wouldn't want to try to burn these in their plain sugar syrup.
More ideas for Katherine and her jar of cherries?
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dip in melted chocolate, let the chocolate harden, and eat...mmmmm!
They make the best ice cream!! Unlike dessert cherries, you can still taste them when your tongue is frozen. Or just do as suggested above over vanilla or (!!) white chocolate ice cream.
... or flame them and *then* serve over ice cream.
If you don't want to waste the syrup it comes in, reduce and use as a syrup in drinks or dripping on cake layers!
not to stray but TJ's sells these chocolate covered cherries which are the bomb!
Definitely try a savory application with these cherries! Drain them of their syrup and soak in brandy. They are amazing in a sauce with game meats like venison.
Here's a picture of some venison with sour cherries. I did not brandy these because they are more a garnish in the fresh chicory.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/3201905824/
I used to love cherry tarts made with morellos.
They were a rectangular base made with puff pastry, and the cherries (without the syrup) were arranged over the top and baked. I think there might have been a *very* thin layer of custard in between.
It was really delicious, because the cherries have such a rich flavor. That's what I'd try to re-create if I had a jar of them.
Clafoutis, anyone?
I've put them on top of big fluffy buttermilk pancakes before - fantastic. Depending on your pancake preferences, you can put them in the batter too - they're obviously on the juicy side, but if that doesn't bug you, woohoo!
I used those exact cherries to make a tasty cherry-apple pie! I drained the juice, cooked it down a bit, then mixed it with cornstarch and stirred it into the sliced apples and cherries. Yums.
Make a chocolate cake and arrange them in a layer between the layers of cake. Mix the syrup into the batter, maybe?
I bet they'd be really good with roasted pork, too.
drain them, toss with a couple of tablespoons of sugar and breadcrumbs, wrap between buttered phyllo, and bake for a traditional cherry strudel. You can then cook down the sauce and drizzle overtop.
Cook down with demi-glace and serve over roasted duck.
Throw them into a coffee cake.
Use in place of cranberries.
Throw them into a milkshake.
I saw Nigella Lawson make this once, but I haven't made it.
Too afraid I'd be found in a coma, slumped over the empty trifle bowl still clutching a very large spoon.
Careful: the photo is pure food porn
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-feasts/chocolate-cherry-trifle-recipe/index.html
I used some in combination with cherry preserves to make a gateau basque---one of the most awesome things I have ever eaten.
I believe these cherries make the best cherry pie, or are great for any of the uses mentioned above. Here's the cherry pie recipe: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/bittersweet-baking-2008/bittersweet-baking-honorable-mention-best-bittersweet-story-042574
You'd need more than one jar though if you make another TJ's trip, or you can mix what you've got with Oregon Fruit Company's canned red tart cherries.
I also save the syrup and reduce it to top cheesecakes, ice cream, pound cakes, etc. I have to mail these cherries to my sisters in Denver and Miami Beach (no TJ's) they are our family's favorite!
I use the same TJs cherries to make a Hungarian Sour Chrerry Soup, recipe from my Hungarian Mom-in-law. It is super easy and tasty. It is a cold soup, great for the summer months. Here is the recipe with photos:
http://www.pinkbites.com/2008/09/hungarian-sour-cherry-soup.html
I've made this tart several times with TJ's Morello Cherries. Why have I made the tart several times? Because people keep asking me for it! And it's easy because it has a pressed dough crust as opposed to a roll out crust.
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/baked-good/recipe-cherry-custard-tart-051624
At my house, they don't survive beyond being eaten straight from the jar with a spoon.I save the juice and make cherry juice cocktails with sparkling water.
Drained (save syrup), chopped, and mixed into chocolate truffles. Then mix syrup with a bit of champagne and a splash of pure cherry juice. Eat and drink together!