‘It’s So Delicious!’: Delicious Cherry Recipes for Readers, From Frozen Margaritas to Strudel | Fruit

Frozen cherry margarita

I rent a cherry tree on a farm in Northiam, East Sussex. Every year we have a week to harvest the cherries from our tree, so we make a day with a picnic nearby. The tree looks small, but last year we collected 15 kg in one day. We make jams, cakes, ice cream and liqueurs; we give away some and then freeze the rest after stoning them. This means we have a year-round supply of my favorite cocktail – frozen cherry margarita. I can’t drink tequila, so I trade it for vodka. The result is delicious and very tasty, so be careful!

Put 50 g of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool. Then, using a blender, combine with 200g of frozen cherries, 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 150ml of tequila or vodka, 3 tablespoons of cherry liqueur, and a handful of ice until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses. Fran evans, London

Cherry chutney

Cherries are my favorite summer fruit. I like to eat them as a simple chutney with chicken or cheese. It is also good to mix half and half with a spicy tomato sauce. Wash and pit 400 g of cherries, finely chop a chili and boil both, together with 3 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons of jam sugar with pectin and salt and pepper to taste, in a pot for 10 minutes . Let cool and set. Margrete Moore, consultant and administrator, Denmark

Cherry frangipane with homemade cherry jam

Once I have picked about 1kg of cherries, I make a jam by simmering 800g of jam sugar and a pinch of uncovered vanilla (optional) in a jam skillet over medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes . When ready, you can put the jam in sterilized jars and let cool. To make the frangipane puff pastry, crumble 125g of butter and 250g of flour, then add an egg and mix to form a dough. Chill this dough in the fridge and grease an 11-inch (28-cm) round can. Roll the dough and place it neatly in the mold, covering with parchment paper and baking balls. I like my crunchy and golden base, so cooking at 180 ° C for 20 minutes works. To make the frangipane, whisk together 225g of butter and 225g of powdered sugar. Add five eggs one by one, plus 225g of ground almonds and 50g of flour while doubling the eggs. Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract and mix one last time. Once the base has cooled, pour in the cherry jam with a spoon. Then pour in your frangipane mixture. Remove the seeds and halve 15 more cherries and sprinkle over the raw frangipane mixture along with some sliced ​​almonds. Bake at 180 ° C for about 40 minutes. Once cool, drizzle over a thick almond-flavored frosting and sprinkle with a pinch of icing sugar. Sian Polhill-Thomas, live continuity announcer, London

Cherry gin

Every year we have an excess of morellos and we make cherry gin. All you need is a liter bottle of gin, a sandwich box filled with cherries and sugar. Pour half of the gin into another empty bottle, then fill both bottles with the cherries until they are at least half full. Then pour in enough sugar to cover the top layer of cherries and screw on the lid. Shake daily for three to 12 weeks, taste and sift to remove cherries. Save for Christmas presents or when you have a cough. Dorothy, quality engineer, Brighton

Gluten-free cherry and almond cake pudding

Place 400 g of pitted dark cherries in the bottom of a pudding dish. In a large bowl, whisk together 200g of butter with 200g of powdered sugar, then gradually whisk in four lightly beaten eggs. If the mixture sets, add a small amount of ground almonds with the eggs. Now add 200 g of ground almonds, plus 1 teaspoon of French almond essence. Spoon this sponge cake mix over the cherries and sprinkle the top with a handful of flaked almonds, then put them in a preheated 180 ° C oven for 60 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, cover it with a sheet of parchment paper. Serve hot with cream or vanilla ice cream. Cal, Nottingham

Sweet cherry strudel

This recipe is how my mother and grandmother made the best sweet cherry strudel ever. Wash and pit 2 kg of cherries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, and cinnamon, to taste. Put 1 kg of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt in a separate container and add 100 ml of sunflower oil and about 500 ml of warm water. Knead until you get a soft and smooth dough (it should not stick). Divide into four balls (each ball of dough makes a strudel bar), coat with a little more oil, cover with a cloth and leave to rest for half an hour. Then place on a work surface covered with a cloth and lightly flour. Roll out a ball, then spread the cherries into two-thirds of the rolled dough and roll to wrap the filling, using the cloth to help. Place the rolled strudel in a greased skillet, top with melted butter and bake at 180C until golden. Wait for the strudel to cool, then sprinkle with sugar, cut into chunks and serve. Tomislav Vazdar, Croatia

Ki-ba non-alcoholic cocktail

Also known as a cherry juice and banana nectar mocktail. When I did my Erasmus year in southern Germany, I worked in a beer garden As a waitress. Obviously, I wasn’t allowed to drink at work, so the waiter used to make me a ki-ba (Cherry and banana juice, or “cherry-banana juice”). He poured thick banana nectar and tart cherry juice over ice, so the two colors combined wonderfully in the glass. Whenever I do it myself, I immediately transport myself to that. beer garden in Bamberg and summer 1999. Lauren Harris, head of communications, Sheffield