Cherry Recipes

Mighty Cherry Smoothie

1 cup cherry juice
1 cup soy milk
1 cup tart cherries
1 cup strawberries
1 cup frozen yogurt 1 cup ice.

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend well, pour into glass & garnish with tart or sweet cherries. Serve immediately.

Cherry Delight

Preheat oven to 350

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cup cherries
1 can cherry pie filling

Mix flour, salt & sugar. Cut in butter. Reserving 1/2 of mixture, spread remainder in a 8" square pan. Place cherries over crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top with some of the pie filling. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.

Cherry Pie Filling

8 cups tart cherries
1 tsp. Lemon juice
5 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. Almond extract (optional).

Wash & pit cherries. Drain. Combine sugar & cornstarch. Stir in cherries, lemon juice & extract. Let stand about 30 minutes. Cook over med. Heat until mixture thickens. Ladle into jars leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Cool at room temperature. Seal & label. Yields 4 pints

Cherry Salad

4 cups of leafy green (romaine, spinach, etc.)
1/2 cup of dried cherries
1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese or feta cheese
1/4 chopped pecans or walnuts.

Combine the 4 ingredients above and toss with your favorite dressing or (Cherry Poppyseed Vinaigrette is a favorite)

Cherry Cocoa Cake

1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oil
1-1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup cocoa
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 jar (17oz.) cherry topping/pie filling.

Spread cherry topping evenly in bottom of greased 8" dish. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, stir to mix well. Pour evenly over pie topping. Bake 350 degrees about 35-45 minutes until cake tests done in middle. Cool 1/2 hour and invert to serve. This wonderful dense cake has no eggs and no butter…tastes like a brownie, only better!!!

FYI Cherries contain powerful antioxidants that may help fight cancer and heart disease, according to research at MSU. Eating about 20 cherries per day may reduce the pain of arthritis and gout.