Whether baked in a pie, crushed in a beverage, or eaten as a fresh snack, there’s nothing quite like cherries. There are a wide variety of sweet cherries, ranging from the extra-sweet, yellow-fleshed Rainier cherries, to common varieties such as Bing, Sweetheart, Chelan, Lapins, Tieton and Skeena. Fresh cherries can be kept for up to two weeks in the fridge in a tightly sealed bag or container. Buying an extra bag to freeze allows you to have sweet cherries all year long.
Cherry Dessert
Servings: 4
2 cups pitted, halved Northwest fresh sweet cherries, divided
1/4 cup almond extract or almond liqueur
2 teaspoons sugar (you can also use honey or agave)
12 lady fingers, split in half lengthwise
4 whole fresh sweet cherries with stems
1/4 cup whipped lowfat cream cheese, divided
Instructions
Mix halved cherries, liqueur or almond extract, and sugar; marinate 1 hour or longer.
Arrange lady fingers against sides of 4 dessert or martini glasses. Before serving, spoon 1/2 cup cherries over lady fingers and swirl 1 tablespoon cream cheese or crème fraiche over cherries in each glass. Garnish with a whole cherry and serve.
See more recipes and cherry tips at nwcherries.com.
