Every summer, I find time in my busy schedule to bake a Cherry pie for my dad for Father’s Day. It’s a two-day process–pitting the cherries one day and baking the next. It’s really worth the extra work when you taste that home-made Cherry pie, fresh from the oven! Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream.
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Pastry:
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs. butter
1/3 cup plus 1 tbs. shortening
4 -5 tbs cold water
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place flour and salt into a medium mixing bowl or into a food processor. Cut in shortening and butter and work with a pastry cutter until mixture is like coarse corn meal. If using a food processor, use the “S” blade.
Sprinkle in cold water, 2 tbs. at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and forms a ball. Do not overwork the dough. Divide into two balls. Cover with a dishtowel. Chill just until it firms up, then remove. Put aside.
Filling:
Ingredients
¾ to 1 ¼ cups. Sugar (Depending of the sweetness of the cherries and personal preference)
1/3 cup flour
8 cups Pitted of Olson’s Cherries (about 3 ½ lb.)
¼ tsp. almond extract
2 tbs. butter
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Mix well with Cherries. Roll pastry out on a board lightly sprinkled with flour and sugar. Place bottom crust in 9” pie plate. Add Cherry mixture. Sprinkle with Almond extract and dot with Butter. Cover pie with top crust, crimping edges, and adding slits to allow for steam to escape.
Cut a piece of aluminum foil about 3 inches wide and cover the edge of the pie to prevent excessive browning. (Remove foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.) Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is brown and juices are bubbly. Makes a 9″ Two Crust Pie.
This is an old-fashioned recipe that my Grandmother Rose taught me. It has always been a winner in my household. Take time during the short apricot season to make a batch; you’ll be glad you did. Our Blenheim apricots are grown in Sunnyvale, California at the Sunnyvale Orchard Heritage Park.
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Time: The process takes approximately 2 ½ hours
Makes 9 pint jars
Ingredients
8 cups of washed, pitted and halved Olson’s Blenheim apricots
5 cups of sugar
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
Juice from 2-3 lemons in a small bowl (this helps cut down on the sweetness of the apricots);(Make sure there are no lemon seeds in the juice.)
Directions
Put everything into a heavy pan. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until the fruit has broken down. Bring to a slow boil, lower the temperature, to let it cook down as the thickening process will begin. Let simmer slowly for 1 ½ hours, stirring often and keeping an eye on the jam so it does not burn.
When it has reached the desired consistency, (I like mine a little thinner than most) put some on a plate and refrigerate.
Taste the jam when it’s cool to determine if you want to add more lemon juice or sugar. You can see if it is thick enough when cold. If it isn’t, cook it a little longer. Don’t overcook the jam, it may caramelize and lose that lovely apricot color.
As the jam is cooking, start processing your jars; have them washed, sterilized, warmed and ready to fill. Fill the warm jars with jam, leaving 1/8th head space. There should be chunks of apricots and pineapple visible. Make sure the rim is cleaned with a warm T- towel. Seal or coat with paraffin. After a couple of hours, you will here a popping sound. That means that the jam has sealed.
Enjoy your jam throughout the year, it is worth the effort.
Clafouti, a French creation, is a simple custard dessert. It captures the essence of our delicious cherries and it complements a fabulous dinner.
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Ingredients
¼ cup of sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 cups pitted Olson’s fresh Cherries (approximately 1 lb.)
2 large eggs
¾ cup milk
¾ cup light cream
¾ cup all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla or kirsch
confectioner’s sugar
whipped cream to garnish (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a shallow 10 inch baking dish, glass or pottery pie plate. Sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar evenly over the bottom of the dish. Distribute the pitted Cherries evenly over the sugar. Beat the eggs lightly, then add the milk, cream, flour, salt, remaining sugar, and vanilla (or kirsch) and beat just until smooth. Pour the mixture over the Cherries and bake in center of oven until puffed and lightly browned (a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean), about 45 – 50 minutes. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm. If you’d like, top each serving with whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.
From Cooking With Fruit by Rolce Redard and Dorrit Senior.
These giant cookies are packed full of fresh Olson’s Cherries and white chocolate chips. Perfect to take along on a picnic.
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Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 to 17 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ¼ cups flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups fresh Olson’s Cherries, pitted and halved
1 (12-oz.) package white chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, almond extract and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt and baking soda; add to butter mixture and stir until blended. Press Cherries between two layers of paper towels and stir half into the dough with the chocolate chips. Mound rounded tablespoons of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet; press remaining Cherries onto the top. Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes, or until cookies are set in the center and lightly browned. Let cool on rack and store in a container with a loose fitting lid.*
Makes about 20 large cookies.
* Because of the moisture in the Cherries, these cookies should not be stored in a container with a tight fitting lid.
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 cookie):
Calories 344; Protein 4 g; Fat 15 g; 40% Calories from Fat; Carbohydrate 48 g; Cholesterol 50 mg; Fiber 1 g; Sodium 178 mg.
It’s exciting to give a chef some Olson’s Cherries to develop a fabulous dish. Chef Dennis Iczkowski created this delicious Duck salad using Olson’s cherries. It’s quite refreshing on a hot summer day.
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Duck Seasoning:
Ingredients
dried thyme (1 part)
cracked black pepper (1 part)
ground allspice (½ part)
juniper berries (½ part)
coriander (½ part)
fresh ginger (1 part)
salt (1 part)
Directions
To prepare the duck legs: Grind up the seasonings and rub onto the legs. Slow roast them in a roasting pan with a little bit of oil on the bottom of the pan (to prevent sticking) in a 300° F oven for 3 hours. Finish cooking them on the barbeque to get that smoky taste.
The Salad:
Ingredients
3 cups Pitted fresh Olson’s Cherries.
Mixed greens, arugula, and spinach, or salad of your choice.
Fresh orange sections and orange zest from one orange.
The Dressing: (can be made ahead of time)
Ingredients
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup sherry vinegar
3 medium size roasted shallots
1 head roasted garlic
1 tbs. diced ginger
6 fresh scallions, ½ bunch chives, thyme and Italian parsley
3 oz. fresh orange juice
2 oz. fresh lemon juice
any remaining Cherry juice or wine from fresh or dried Cherries
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Toss the salad with dressing and fresh pitted Cherries. Top off each plate with a warm Duck leg.
Makes 6 Servings. 6-12 Duck legs. (depending on the appetites)
Barbequed Chicken would work.
A spectacular summer dessert that’s FAST, EASY, and DELICIOUS! And, you don’t have to cook this! You can use an angel food cake, pound cake, or shortcake, whichever you prefer.
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Bing Cherry Cake RECIPE
From Deborah Olson’s farm kitchen
Angel Food Cake
½ pint whipping cream (beat until stiff peaks form)
2 TBS. sugar (incorporate into whipping cream while beating)
3 cups pitted Bing Cherries (approximately 1½ lbs.) – preferably Olson’s
¾ cup Amaretto (liqueur)
Fresh Olson’s Bing Cherries for decoration
Mint leaf (optional, for color and decoration)
Directions
Cut cake in half and remove top layer. Place bottom half of the cake on a plate and pour ¾ cup of Amaretto over it. Beat whipping cream with 2 TBS. of sugar until it forms stiff peaks and spread half of the mixture on top of the cake. Place pitted Bing Cherries over the whipped cream to cover. Place top half of the cake on top of the Cherries. Cover the top with remaining whipped cream. Place the nicest pitted Bing cherries on top; and for color, add a few mint leaves for pizzazz. Chill. Cut and serve on a plate with a few fresh cherries on the side for decoration. Can be prepared ahead of time.
A classic, for a reason!
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Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
1½ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, softened
5-6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups pitted Olson’s Cherries
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted raspberry jam
1 tablespoon Kirsch (Cherry liqueur)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl stir together dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Knead several times on a lightly floured board and roll out to ¾-inch thickness. Cut into 4 circles with a 3-inch cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool. Meanwhile, beat cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Melt jam and kirsch together in a small saucepan. Split each shortcake in half lengthwise and spoon whipped cream, Cherries and melted jam between the layers. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving:
671 Calories, 8 g Protein, 35 g Fat, 82 g Carbohydrates, 3g Fiber, 115 mg Cholesterol, 426 mg Sodium.