Shared Sugar » cherry http://sharedsugar.com Sat, 03 Dec 2011 03:29:40 +0000 en hourly 1 Cherry Almond Pudding Cake http://sharedsugar.com/cherry-almond-pudding-cake/ http://sharedsugar.com/cherry-almond-pudding-cake/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:42:09 +0000 Mara http://sharedsugar.com/?p=946 CherryPuddingCake1
There are certain times when the world around you just seems to stop. Those times especially seem to come when you least expect it. Three weeks ago, I was in the middle of a very large project at work when I got the call that my grandma was not likely to make it much longer. That next morning she passed away. It was hard to hear, but I am very much at peace that she is now relieved of her pain and is celebrating with God right now in a much better place.

In Grandma Chris’ honor, I want to share photos, memories and a recipe of hers for Cherry Pudding Cake, which I’ve adapted a bit.

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It’s taken me a little time to compose and write this post, thankfully Kesha has been busy baking and posting in my place. It’s hard to know what to write in a few paragraphs about a woman who was deserving of so much more than these sentences can provide.

It’s interesting how death can bring such clarity as all the things you think previously important fade into the background and other things come to light. One blessing of this experience is that my grandma had been in assisted living for about 12 years, so my memories of her more active life had faded for me. Looking through photos and awards with my family clearly reminded me of just how wonderful she was.

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My grandma was a bit of a sassy rebel. She liked to be independent and kept her hair short and would only be called Chris. People would remark that they would see a tiny little woman with short white hair walking all over town. She had completed a remarkable amount of volunteer hours in her local community. A World War Two nurse veteran, she was a loving caretaker, and opened her home and arms to so many in our family.

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There’s only one area of her life where I can talk a little more humbly. From what I hear and remember, she was not a great cook, but she did know how to make a few signature items very, very well. One of those recipes is for her cherry pudding cake. This is one of those humble and comforting winter desserts. The warm cherries, cake, pudding and whipped cream are a little bit of heaven. My friends who I shared this with told me that it was the perfect thing they wanted to eat on the cold and snow-filled evening we were having.

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    Cherry Almond Pudding Cake

    adapted from my Grandma Chris
    makes 9″x12″ pan, about 12-16 slices

  • Ingredients

    pudding cake
  • 3 cups cherries*
  • 2-1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated pure cane sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • cherry sauce
  • juice from frozen cherries
  • 1 cup frozen cherries*
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated pure cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • whipped cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon granulated pure cane sugar

    • *if buying for this recipe, you will need 4 total cups of frozen cherries (3 cups for cake and 1 cup for sauce)

  • Directions

    • make the pudding cake

    Unthaw 4 cups of cherries and drain them into a bowl, reserving their juice for later. Save 1 cup of cherries for later as well. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    In a mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, until well mixed. Add almond extract. Add half the amount of milk. Then add half of the flour mixture. Repeat until all are mixed together. Fold in cherries and toasted almonds.

    Pour batter in pan. Sprinkle brown sugar over top of batter. Then, pour boiling water over top of batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Due to the boiling water, the cake will have a pudding-like consistency which makes it a little more difficult to discern when the cake is finished. As long as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it should be fully baked.

    make the cherry sauce

    In a small sauce pan, mix together the reserved cherry juice, 1 cup cherries, lemon juice, sugar, water and cornstarch. Bring to a boil and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add almond extract, if desired. If cherry sauce is too thick, place back on stovetop and add a little water to thin out.

    make the whipped cream

    Pour cold whipped cream into a cold mixing bowl. If you have a stand mixer, use the wire whip attachment. Start beating slowly and speed up until you see soft peaks. Add sugar and continue beating until cream forms stiff peaks.

    Serve the pudding cake warm and pour warm cherry sauce over cake. Top with fresh whipped cream and serve.

]]> http://sharedsugar.com/cherry-almond-pudding-cake/feed/ 14 Cherry Pistachio Biscotti with White Chocolate http://sharedsugar.com/cherry-pistachio-biscotti-with-white-chocolate/ http://sharedsugar.com/cherry-pistachio-biscotti-with-white-chocolate/#comments Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:43:40 +0000 Mara http://sharedsugar.com/?p=684 CherryPistachioBiscotti1
Both my mom and my mother-in-law are coffee lovers. In fact, I’d be a little afraid if either one didn’t get their morning dose, that’s how much they love it. It comes naturally then that they both love biscotti as well. Last Christmas, we gave them gift packages of biscotti, and they both asked if I had made it myself. I realized I was sad to say that I hadn’t. That made me resolve to give them homemade gifts this year.

I got around to making it at the last minute. I was somewhat nervous taking it on with so little time because it always seemed a bit mysterious and difficult. I was surprised to find out that it wasn’t nearly as hard as I had feared, you just need a little time to allow for two bakings.

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One thing to point out. Definitely use good quality white chocolate when making these. I used Askinosie white chocolate and it melted and worked perfectly, but unfortunately, I ran out. I had white chocolate chips from the grocery store that I tried to supplement with. They were very difficult to melt and once they finally did, it tasted like melted sand. I ended up throwing it away and melting some dark chocolate for the last ones.

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I’d hoped to post this earlier in case anyone wanted to make these as gifts, but life sort of gets in the way sometimes. Which, I’m not complaining about, I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve spent with friends and family so far around the holidays. So instead, I know you probably have time off. Take the time to make some of this biscotti because it’s worth it. Dip it in some coffee or my favorite, chai. And have a very merry Christmas.

    Cherry and Pistachio Biscotti with White Chocolate

  • Ingredients

    biscotti
  • 3/4 cup dried cherries
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • white chocolate
  • 12 ounces white chocolate
  • butter or shortening, as needed


  • Directions

    • make the biscotti

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Place cherries in a small bowl and add hot water until covered. Let stand until plump, about 10-15 minutes. Drain, and set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

    In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. If desired, coarsely chop cherries. This step simply makes it easier to cut and eat the biscotti. Mix in cherries and pistachios.

    Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each piece into a 16-by-2-inch log, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. You can also use a spatula to smooth tops out slightly. Brush beaten egg over surface of the dough logs, and sprinkle with sugar. If you use a coarser sugar, the granules will be more distinct.

    Bake about 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through, until logs are slightly firm to touch. Transfer logs on parchment paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

    Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices or 3/4-inch-thick slices (I went with 3/4-inch for a thicker slice). Place a wire rack in a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on rack. Bake until firm to touch and pale golden brown, about 15-20 minutes on each side. Remove pan from oven and let biscotti cool completely on rack.

    make the white chocolate

    In a double boiler, melt white chocolate. If white chocolate is too thick for dipping, add shortening or butter until chocolate becomes a dipping consistency. Dip bottom cut side of biscotti in white chocolate and place chocolate side up on the cooling rack until chocolate hardens.

    Store in an airtight container. Or, wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon for homemade holiday gifts.

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