George Washington’s birthday is this month (happy 278th, George!). And so it seems only fitting that we pay tribute to the little fruit that, thanks to a story taught in every elementary school in America, is inextricably linked to the founding father.
Here are a few simple cherry recipes to get you started. For more, head over to choosecherries.com.
Miniature Chocolate-Cherry Cheesecake
These little gems are perfect for little hands – and so easy to make!
Ingredients:
- 18 prepared vanilla wafer or ginger snap cookies
- 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coarsely grated dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup prepared cherry pie filling
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the cups of 18 miniature muffin tin with cooking spray. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cup; set aside.
Step 2: Make the filling. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth; stir in the grated chocolate.
Step 3: Fill and Bake. Fill each wafer-lined muffin cup 2/3 full of cream cheese filling. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool.
Step 4: Add topping and serve. Makes 18 cheesecakes.
Chunky Chocolate& Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
These chewy cookies are loaded with oats and dried cherries.
Ingredients:
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Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside.
Step 2: Mix together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.
Step 3: Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture; stir well. Stir in oats, cherries, chocolate and almonds until evenly distributed.
Step 4: Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto prepared pans; space about 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Cool on racks. Makes 2 dozen cookies.
Cook’s Note: Dried cranberries make a delicious substitution for cherries.
Cherry Almond Milk
Here’s a delicious way to get the kids to drink more milk.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup frozen cherries
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups milk
Directions:
Place cherries, extract and milk in a blender. Process until pureed. Enjoy. Makes two servings.
Besides her two favorite jobs of wife and mom, Michelle Ann Anderson home schools her children is a freelance writer, enjoys public speaking, writing cookbooks and sharing her love of food with those around her. You can find her blog at MichelleAnnAnderson.com.
