Easy Cherry Almond Macaroons

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Easy Cherry Almond Macaroons

Growing up, while other kids my age turned up their noses at many coconut cookies during the Holidays, I was an obvious exception. Coconut covered snowballs, Partridgeberry Coconut Meringue Squares and Coconut (Macaroon) Haystacks with a bright red glace cherry on top were among my favorites.

This recipe was inspired by those coconut haystacks, often formed by using a boiled egg cup to make the shape. I always wanted to pick all the cherries off the tops of those cookies when I was a kid, so rather than do that, I thought I'd just add more to the recipe. Cherries and almonds are a natural flavor combination so some toasted ground almonds make a delicious addition to these quick and easy cookies too. These are so easy to make and since there will always be some coconut lovers in any group, so why not add these to your Holiday baking list?

Easy Cherry Almond Macaroons

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

A very simple, easy coconut macaroon recipe with the added flavors of cherries and almonds. These freeze well making them another great choice for the Holiday freezer.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 4 cups sweetened dried coconut
• 1 1/2 cups toasted ground almonds
• 1 cup glace cherries, cut in quarters (Maraschino or dried cherries can also be used)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• pinch salt
• 1 can (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large egg whites

Directions

1. Toast almonds at 350 degrees F in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes. Cool completely before grinding them in a food processor or blender.
2. Mix the almonds with all of the other ingredients except the egg whites, stirring well to combine.
3. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them gently through the coconut, cherry almond mixture.
4. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. These WILL stick to a regular greased baking sheet.
5. Bake at 325 degrees F until lightly golden brown at the edges, about 20-23 minutes. Do not over bake.
6. Cool completely on the baking sheet before removing the cookies.
7. Store in airtight containers.

Cherry Cake Squares

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Cherry Cake Squares

These cookies were inspired by another popular Holiday baking staple here in Newfoundland and a very popular recipe on this website at this time of year, Cherry Pound Cake. It's found in practically every home in the province during the Christmas season so I thought, why not translate it into a cookie square version too. These almond tinged cookie squares are pretty easy to make and are another great addition to the Holiday freezer.

Cherry Cake Squares

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Based upon a Newfoundland favorite Christmas cake and ideal for the holiday freezer, these easy cookie squares are quick to prepare, freeze exceptionally well and are always a hit with kids of all ages.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 25 cookie squares
Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup glace cherries, quartered
• FOR THE FROSTING
• 2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 -2 tbsp milk

Directions

1. Cream butter sugar and vanilla until light and fluff.
2. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts and beat well.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
4. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, folding to combine well.
5. Fold in the chopped cherries.
6. Spread in a parchment lined or greased 9 inch square baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F. (325 for glass bake ware) A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. (This recipe is too large for an 8x8 pan. If you do not have a 9x9 pan you can multiply the entire recipe by 1 1/2 and use a 9x13 pan instead if you have one of those.)
7. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Frost with vanilla frosting.
9. For the vanilla frosting beat together the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and milk until, light, fluffy and of a good spreadable consistency. Add the milk only a little at a time until the proper consistency is achieved.
10. Spread over the cooled cookies and cut into squares or bars.
11. These freeze very well in airtight containers. 

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars

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Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars

One great recipe can sometimes inspire another. We have had a few cheesecake cookie bars featured over the past few years and I particularly like the ones that combine a shortbread like base and crumble topping. With the success of a recent chocolate shortbread recipe experiment, I decided that a cherry cheesecake version of these cookie bars could work well. I drizzled them with a little chocolate for presentation purposes only, they certainly don't need it, so omit it if you prefer. This type of cheesecake square, like the others here at Rock Recipes, freezes quite well making them an excellent choice for early, pre-holiday baking. This batch went very quickly into my freezer after I sampled one...so lusciously delicious!

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars - a scrumptious mix of chocolate shortbread crumble, creamy vanilla cheesecake and juicy cherries. Throw on a little chocolate drizzle too if you like.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: Aproximately 60 minutes
Total time: About 1 1/2 hours
Yield: About 3 dozen cookie bars. 

Ingredients

• 3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup cold butter
• FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
• 2 cup (1 pound) cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar 
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen cherries, quartered
• FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (Optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp whipping cream

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa and butter until crumbly (or simply cut the butter through the flour,cocoa and sugar with a pastry knife or two butter knives held between your fingers)
2. Save a 1 cup of this crumble mixture to sprinkle over the top later.
3. Press the rest of the crumble mixture into the bottom of a greased or parchment lined 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes while preparing the cheesecake filling.
5. Beat together the cream cheese, white sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth.
6. Beat in the egg.
7. Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly onto the pre-baked cookie base.
8. Sprinkle the chopped cherries evenly over the cheesecake batter.
9. Press together the the reserved cookie crumble in your fist, break off small pieces and sprinkle over the surface.
10. Bake at 325 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheesecake is set at the center.
11. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.
12. You can drizzle the squares with chocolate too id f you like. Just melt together the chocolate chips and whipping cream in a double boiler. Spoon into a piping bag (or Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) and drizzle a thin stream over each cookie bar.
13. Refrigerate in airtight containers. Freezes well too. 

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Cherry Cream Cheese Blondies

Cherry Cream Cheese Blondies

My kids are very, very fond of a good Blondie and we have made several versions including a version with glace candied cherries. Since we had some ripe fresh cherries on hand, which the kids also love, I decided to try them in a new variation that also includes more chopped cherries in a luscious cream cheese frosting for a very pretty finishing touch. We froze some of these quite successfully too, so no doubt these awesomely delicious blondies will be making it to my Christmas freezer list this year as well.

Sift together

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Melt over low heat

• 3/4 cup butter

Stir in

• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp vanilla extract

Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pinch the mixture between your fingers to make sure that you cannot feel any sugar granules.

Gradually mix in dry ingredients. Fold in:

• 1 cup chopped fresh cherries (cut in quarters)

Spread the batter into a greased or parchment lined 9x9 baking pan.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees F (325 F for glass bakeware) or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1 tbsp milk; only enough to bring the frosting to a spreadable consistency.

Mix all the ingredients together and beat very well until smooth and fluffy. Add the milk last to get the frosting to the right consistency. Finally fold in:

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cherries

Spread evenly on top of the cooled blondies before cutting into squares or bars.

Double Chocolate Black Forest Cake

Double Chocolate Black Forest Cake

It's official, we now have 2 teenagers in the house! Number one son celebrated his 13th birthday this past weekend and got to choose his birthday cake. He chose chocolate and cherry and I immediately thought black forest cake but with such beautiful, ripe, sweet cherries on hand I wanted to use them in their natural state rather than making a cooked filling. Instead I layered them with whipped chocolate ganache frosting and plain layers of whipped cream in this utterly decadent cake. I think the cherries on top makes for a beautiful presentation too. Who wouldn't want this as a birthday cake?! 

The recipe here is all ages friendly but if you want to add some Kirsch or other cherry liqueur to the cake by sprinkling about an ounce or so of the liqueur on each of the cake as you construct it.

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soured milk (just add a tablespoon of lemon juice or plain vinegar to a cup of milk)
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour into 2 greased and floured (or dusted with cocoa) 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. When completely cooled, split the two layers into four with a sharp serrated bread knife.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

To prepare the filling/frosting, melt together in a double boiler

• 3 cups dark chocolate chips
•  1/2 cup whipping cream

Stir constantly over a gentle simmer in the double boiler, just until melted and smooth throughout. You do not want this mixture to get hot, it should be just at the melting point and only lukewarm to the touch.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, whip to firm peaks:

• 2 cups whipping cream

Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture in four portions, folding gently after each addition until the whipped cream is completely incorporated into the chocolate. 

At this point you will probably have to chill this frosting for a half hour or more in the fridge if it is too soft to work with. Just give it a quick fold with a rubber spatula every 10 minutes so that it cools evenly in the fridge.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 4 rounded tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Whip together to firm peaks.

• 1 pound ripe fresh cherries, pitted
• chopped chocolate for garnish

To construct the cake, split the two layers of cake into four using a sharp serrated bread knife. Place the first layer of  cake onto the cake plate and cover with a little of the vanilla whipped cream followed by the next layer of cake. Spread a thin layer of the whipped chocolate ganache on this layer and place a layer of pitted cherries on top followed by more whipped ganache to completely cover the cherries.

Add the next layer of cake, more of the vanilla whipped cream and the final layer of cake. Frost the entire outside of the cake with the remaining whipped ganache frosting and place another layer of pitted cherries on top of the cake. Garnish with borders of vanilla whipped cream and with chopped chocolate on the sides.

Cherry Swirl Almond Crumble Coffee Cake

Cherry Swirl Almond Crumble Coffee Cake

Here's another flavor combination in our growing collection of coffee cakes. This delicious almond and vanilla flavored cake gets a swirl of sweet cherry compote through  the cake before being topped by a buttery almond shortbread crumble. This is one more addition to the many brunch ideas on Rock Recipes. Check out our Pinterest board of Best Brunch Ideas for more ways to make a favorite weekend meal truly special.

Cherry Compote

2 cups pitted cherries

½ cup sugar

3 tbsp water

Simmer together for only a few minutes.

Stir together:

1 ounce water

1 rounded tbsp corn starch

Add quickly to the simmering cherries stirring constantly. Cook for only a minute before taking off the heat and allowing it to cool to almost room temperature.

 
Coffee Cake

Sift together and set aside:

2 2/3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place, whisk together on high speed until foamy and slightly stiffened.

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract (optional)

Mix together in a measuring cup with a spout:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Slowly add the oil and butter mixture to the egg mixture in a slow stream as the mixer continues to whisk.

Mix together

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Add slowly to the mixing bowl continuing to mix but at a reduced speed.

Fold in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula being careful not to over mix. Don't worry about lumps in the batter, they are fine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 10 inch springform pan. Dot the surface of the batter, a heaping tablespoon at a time with

1 1/2 cups Cherry Compote

using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl the cherry compote through the batter. 

Almond Shortbread Crumble

1/3 cup ground almonds
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pulse together in a food processor or rub the butter into the flour with your hands until fully incorporated.

Add the crumble topping by squeezing together handfuls of the crumb mixture and breaking off small pieces, which get scattered all over the surface of the batter.  You can also add in some slivered almonds and a few extra cherry pieces with the crumble for an extra flourish of garnish. 

Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The toothpick test is definitely the best way to ensure that this cake is fully baked. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chunky Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chunky Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins

My daughter Olivia is only 14 but she has grown into quite a good little baker. Today is her last Point Ballet class for the season and she wanted to make some of her favorite Chocolate Chip to take along and share with the young ladies in her class. I suggested adding some chopped cherries to the mix and the result was wonderful. The sweet and slightly tart cherries played very well with the chocolate indeed. This is really just a slight variation of our very popular Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe that we recently featured but one I thought well worth posting again.

Makes one dozen large muffins.Sift together and set aside:

2 1/2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place, whisk together on high speed until foamy and slightly stiffened.

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together in a measuring cup with a spout:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Slowly add the oil and butter mixture to the egg mixture in a slow stream as the mixer continues to whisk.

Mix together

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Add slowly to the mixing bowl continuing to mix but at a reduced speed.

Fold in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula being careful not to over mix. Don't worry about lumps in the batter, they are fine. When the dry ingredients are almost incorporated, gently fold in

1 ½   cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 ½ cup quartered cherries

Spoon batter into well greased muffin tins, filling them to the top. If you like you can sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over the top of each muffin before baking.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 20 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.