Cherry Topping

I made this cherry topping once and served it over cheesecake ice cream and it was so good. I get grossed out now by the canned topping that is bright red and has dye in it. I just made this again to serve on top of cheesecake. This would also be delicious on top of waffles or pancakes. I used frozen cherries both times, but you can use fresh or frozen. I like to store this in a glass mason jar in my fridge.

Cherry Topping

Recipe adapted from “Vintage Kitchen Notes” Website

 

This easy cherry sauce recipe takes minutes on the stove and keeps for days in the refrigerator and frozen for at least a month. Use fresh cherries when in season, but frozen ones also work. It's great as a topping for waffles and cheesecake, and as a sauce over ice cream.

 

12 ounces whole cherries (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

 

 

If using fresh cherries, wash and pit the cherries. You'll have about 1½ cups of cherries. Alternatively, use a 12-ounce bag of frozen cherries.

 

Put the cherries in a medium saucepan and add the sugar and lemon juice. Mix. 

 

Cook fresh cherries over medium heat (or frozen cherries over low heat) until it breaks a boil, stirring gently once in a while. 

 

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water until no lumps remain and drizzle over the berries. 

 

Stir constantly and cook for 1 more minute. 

 

Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and let cool down. 

 

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week in a glass mason jar with a tight-fitting lid or another type of airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to a month in a plastic container. Defrost at room temperature.

Cheesecake Ice Cream & Cherry Topping

I've been trying out some new ice cream flavors lately and came across one for Cheesecake Ice Cream in the cookbook "The Perfect Scoop" by David Lebovitz. I love cheesecake so I had to try this recipe out! I made a few changes to it though so the below recipe is adapted from his, but I'm including the original recipe from his cookbook as well, at the very bottom of this post.

I used lemon zest this time but I didn't use all of the the zest from the lemon because I read a review that it was too tangy, and it still was pretty tangy. Next time I'll just use a little bit of lemon juice instead of the zest because I didn't love the zest being in the ice cream, but that's just my personal preference. I changed the recipe below to reflect that change.

I also increased the amount of half-and-half from the original recipe to 1 cup because I wanted 3 cups total of liquid and I thought it might help the ice cream not taste so rich. This ice cream base is very thick, so I'm glad I added the extra liquid to help thin it out a little bit.

I added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to the original recipe, which had none, because my cheesecake recipes always have vanilla in them, but next time I will increase the vanilla to 1 teaspoon, as is reflected in the recipe below.

After blending the ingredients together, I refrigerated the mixture for 4 hours (in a quart-sized mason jar - it fits perfectly) and then it was in my ice cream maker for 15 minutes before I heard it struggling to churn and turned it off. I usually churn my ice cream for 20-25 minutes, so that should tell you how thick this is! I put it in the freezer and tried it about 3 hours later. It was delicious! It's thick, rich, lemony, cream-cheesy and just so, so good!

I love putting cherries on top of homemade cheesecake, so I also made a cherry topping using a 12-ounce bag of frozen cherries. The final topping is crushed graham crackers reminiscent of a graham cracker crumb crust, which makes this cheesecake ice cream really taste like homemade cheesecake!

As much as I liked this, I might make a few more changes next time to try to thin out the mixture a little bit - maybe use 2 cups of half-and-half (or a mixture of whole milk and heavy cream) and no sour cream. I think first I'll try the recipe as it is written below and see how that comes out with substituting the lemon zest for lemon juice and increasing the vanilla and then make additional changes another time if need be.

If you love cheesecake and ice cream, you should definitely give this a try and adjust it according to your preferences!

Cheesecake Ice Cream

Recipe adapted from “The Perfect Scoop” by David Lebovitz

 

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

 

Cut the cream cheese into small pieces. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half or cream, sugar, salt, lemon juice and vanilla directly into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

 

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (at least 4-6 hours or overnight), then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The mixture is very thick and may stop churning after about 15 minutes.

 

Top the ice cream with cherry topping and crushed graham crackers.

 

After mixing and before putting in the fridge for 4 hours. It is very thick!

The perfect size jar for the amount of mixture that fits in my 1.5-qt. ice cream maker

Ready to churn!

15 minutes later, it's done!

Ready for the freezer

 

Cherry Topping

Recipe adapted from “Vintage Kitchen Notes” Website

 

This easy cherry sauce recipe takes minutes on the stove and keeps for days in the refrigerator and frozen for at least a month. Use fresh cherries when in season, but frozen ones also work. It's great as a topping for waffles and cheesecake, and as a sauce over ice cream.

 

12 ounces whole cherries (fresh or frozen)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

 

If using fresh cherries, wash and pit the cherries. You'll have about 1½ cups of cherries. Alternatively, use a 12-ounce bag of frozen cherries.

 

Put the cherries in a medium saucepan and add the sugar and lemon juice. Mix. 

 

Cook fresh cherries over medium heat (or frozen cherries over low heat) until it breaks a boil, stirring gently once in a while. 

 

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water until no lumps remain and drizzle over the berries. 

 

Stir constantly and cook for 1 more minute. 

 

Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and let cool down. 

 

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week in a glass mason jar with a tight-fitting lid or another type of airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to a month in a plastic container. Defrost at room temperature.

Frozen cherries with brown sugar and lemon juice

Boiling and ready for the water and cornstarch

Finished and cooling down

In a mason jar and ready for the fridge

Broken up graham crackers

Cheesecake ice cream and toppings

Delicious!

Cheesecake Ice Cream

Recipe from “The Perfect Scoop” by David Lebovitz

 

8 ounces cream cheese
1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of kosher or sea salt

 

 

Cut the cream cheese into small pieces. Zest the lemon directly into a blender or food processor. Add the cream cheese, sour cream, half-and-half, sugar, and salt, and puree until smooth.

 

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Makes about 3 cups.

Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes

It's my Easter tradition to contribute cheesecake to our big family dinner. This year I couldn't decide which recipe to make, and then I remembered one year I made two different kinds of mini cheesecakes that were a big hit. I went back to the blog where I found the Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes recipe and found another - these Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes. I made these today - two days before Easter - and will top them with some canned cherries on Easter before serving them. I don't mind canned cherries so I use them, but homemade would taste even better. I included the homemade cherry topping recipe below, as well as the fruit topping recipe found on the same blog if you want to use blueberries, raspberries or peaches instead of cherries.

These little cheesecakes are so simple to make and it's not as intimidating as making a whole cheesecake. It's hard to tell when a large cheesecake is done and it can easily be undercooked or overcooked. I used a shot glass to easily press the crumbs into the cupcake wrappers. These cheesecakes will sink in the middle when they are cooling off and that is completely normal, which also provides a great little spot for the fruit topping! I got 30 cheesecakes out of one recipe. These mini cheesecakes are very easy to make and taste delicious! I just might stick to making these in various flavors from now on instead of making big cheesecakes!

Cherry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Recipe Courtesy Every Day Annie Blog

CRUST:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 Tablespoons sugar

FILLING:
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

CHERRY TOPPING:
1½ pounds fresh cherries, pitted and quartered
½ cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

ALTERNATE FRUIT TOPPING:
2 cups blueberries, raspberries, or chopped peaches (fresh or frozen)
¼ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon cold water
2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325°.

 

Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all the dry ingredients are moistened. Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. (I like to use a small drinking glass to press the crumbs down.) Bake until just set, 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

 

To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in the sugar until smooth. Mix in the salt and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

 

Divide the batter evenly between the liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full. Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. (They will look quite puffed initially but will return to normal quickly.) Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

 

To make the cherry topping, combine the cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the cherries begin to release their juices and soften, about 6-8 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and lemon juice until smooth, then stir into the cherry mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 minute until thickened. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill. Top each cheesecake with a small spoonful of the cherry topping before serving.

 

To make the alternate fruit topping, in a medium saucepan, combine the fruit and sugar. Heat until the fruit begins to release its juices. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and lemon juice until lump free, then stir the slurry into the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 minute until thickened. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill. Top each cheesecake with a small spoonful of the fruit topping before serving. Store extra topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

Yield: 30 cupcakes.

Sweet Cherry Pie

Today is Father's Day and I wanted to make my dad one of his favorite desserts, cherry pie. This morning I called a few local farms to see if they had any sour cherries, but was unable to get through to anyone. Knowing that they are in high demand and the cherry picking season is very short, I thought I should find an alternative. I searched online and found some recipes for sweet cherries or bing cherries, and the Giant by my house had them on sale. I decided to try one of the recipes and hoped my dad would like it as much as the sour cherry pies that my grandmother used to make for him.

I bought about 4 pounds of cherries and realized after starting to take the pits out that I had enough for two pies, so I made a pie dough recipe that makes enough dough for 3 pies. I was going to make one of the pies with a top and bottom crust and use the rest of the dough for a bottom crust and make a crumb topping in a tart dish, but it turned out I had enough to make two full pies with top and bottom crusts.

The pie was easy to make, although a little time consuming. I used a cherry pitter which was very helpful. Everything else was pretty straightforward. We ate the pie soon after it came out of the oven (instead of letting it cool) with vanilla ice cream. It was a little runny but tasted great. And most importantly, my dad enjoyed it!
 

Sweet Cherry Pie

Recipe courtesy SimplyRecipes.com

We've used ½ cup of sugar for the filling, which results in a pie not overly sweet. You may want to use more or less sugar, depending on how sweet you would like your pie to be, and how sweet your cherries are.

Pie dough for top and bottom (9 or 10-inch pie)

5 cups sweet cherries, pitted

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 Tablespoons corn starch

1 Tablespoon of butter, cut into small pieces

1 egg

Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Place the pitted cherries, sugar, almond extract, lemon juice and corn starch in a large bowl. Toss until the cherries are well coated with the sugar and other ingredients.

On a lightly floured clean surface, roll out the bottom crust. Form it into a 9 or 10-inch pie pan. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edges so that they extend beyond the edge of the pie pan by 1 inch. Place in the refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.

Roll out the top crust to about the same size as the bottom crust. Place the filling in the pie plate. Dot with small dabs of butter. Cover with the top crust. Trim the edges. Crimp to seal the edges together. Score the top crust with cuts so that the steam can escape while the pie is cooking (unnecessary if you are making a lattice crust). Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.

Optional egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water or milk. Use a pastry brush to brush over the top crust. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Place the pie in the middle rack, with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any pie drippings. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temp to 350° and cook for 35 to 45 minutes longer, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is thick and bubbly.

Allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Bing Cherries

Pitted cherries

Pie crust ready for filling

Cherry filling

Pie ready for oven

Fresh out of the oven

Photos by JoJo

Easy Cherry Surprise Dessert

Today was Father's Day and I made a dessert that my dad has always loved. It only uses a few ingredients and is very simple to make. My family has always made this dessert in a 13"x9" pan, but it might also work well in a trifle bowl. The recipe calls for a smaller pan, and I found that one can of cherry pie filling was not enough to coat the bottom of a 13"x9" pan, so I used two cans of cherries. I couldn't find a loaf size Angel Food Cake, so I used half of a 10" round cake. I would like to try a home-made Angel Food Cake some time, but today's was store bought. I used the 3-ounce pudding pack, but the larger 5-ounce pack would have been OK too since this pan is bigger. I also bought a bigger 16-ounce container of Cool Whip (I always find that 8 ounces is just barely enough in these types of recipes), and used a little over half of it. I had a big bag of slivered almonds from Costco, and toasted them at 325º for 8-10 minutes. So as not to waste anything, my sister used the rest of the Angel Food Cake and Cool Whip to make a smaller 9"x9" pan of this for her family.

The only downfall to this dessert is the angel food cake does get a little soggy, so I would recommend eating it the day it's made or the next day for the best taste!

Easy Cherry Surprise Dessert                                                                   

Make this dessert either very early the morning you plan to serve it (if it is to be served after dinner) or prepare the night before (except for the topping).

1 can Cherry Pie Filling

Loaf size Angel Food cake (or half of a 10” round Angel Food cake)

3-ounce package of Instant Vanilla Pudding, made to package directions

1 cup sour cream

1 cup toasted slivered almonds

8-ounce Cool Whip

Use an 11½” x 7½” x 1½” or a 9” x 9” pan .

Pour one can of Cherry Pie Filling into pan.  On top of pie filling crumble a loaf size Angel Food cake.

Mix package of Instant Vanilla Pudding according to box directions.  Add sour cream to the pudding.

Pour pudding/sour cream mixture over angel food crumb.

Refrigerate.

Before serving, top with Cool Whip and toasted slivered almonds.

NOTE: Instead of Cool Whip, you can whip ½ pint of whipping cream – either sweeten with 1/8 cup confectionary sugar while whipping, or just whip the plain whipping cream.  Top with roasted slivered almonds.

If using a 9” x 13” pan, use two cans of cherry pie filling.

2 cans of cherry pie filling in a 9"x13" pan

Angel Food Cake

Crumbled Angel Food Cake

Vanilla pudding/sour cream mixture

Cool Whip

Toasted slivered almonds - it's ready to serve!

Photos by JoJo