Cherry Buns and Blondies

During a recent trip to the Okanagan, Emil made friends with a local man who allowed us to pick fresh sweet cherries on his orchard. We managed to pick just over 3 kg in a short amount of time!

I needed a way to transport them safely home (a nine hour drive), so I pitted them, which was no easy feat since I didn't have my pitter with me; I had to pit them all with a dull camping paring knife. I then covered them with a homemade organic simple syrup (1:1 organic cane sugar and water, boiled together to dissolve the sugar), and then stored them in airtight zip-top bags. It worked like a charm! The cherries held their shape and texture, and most importantly, their flavour.

I still haven't used all the cherries yet, but I'm having a lot of fun finding different ways to utilize them in my recipes!

Here are two that I've made so far (they were big hits with my coworkers!)

Okanagan Cherry Blondies

These blondies are perfectly gooey and sweet, with rich bittersweet chocolate. I've made this recipe dairy-free, but you can easily substitute butter for the margarine, if you prefer. Makes 32-48 bars.

1 cup (or 250 ml) melted vegan margarine

1 cup (or 250 ml) of light brown sugar, packed

1 cup (or 250 ml) of granulated sugar, I use organic cane

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp (or 2.5 ml) of vanilla bean powder or paste

1 tbsp (or 15 ml) of maraschino liqueur (if you can’t find maraschino liqueur, substitute with amaretto or kirsch)

2 cups (or 500 ml) of unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp (or 3.75 ml) of sea salt

1/2 tsp (or 2.5 ml) of baking soda

3.5 oz (or 100 g) of bittersweet chocolate (I use 70% or darker), finely chopped

1 1/2 cups (or 375 ml) of fresh dark sweet cherries, chopped

1) Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Line the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan with parchment paper, and set aside.

2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk the melted margarine with the sugars. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the vanilla powder and maraschino liqueur.

3) Sift the flour, sea salt and baking soda into the mixing bowl, and fold in gently until just mixed (don’t over-mix). Fold in the chocolate and cherries, then spread evenly into the pan.

4) Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the edges and centre are just set. Cool completely before turning out onto a cutting board, and slicing into 32-48 bars. Drizzle with the glaze.

For the cherry glaze:

1/2 cup (or 125 ml) of vegan margarine

4 cups (or 1000 ml) of confectioners sugar, sifted

1 tsp (or 5 ml) of maraschino liqueur (alternately use amaretto or kirsch)

2-4 tbsp (or 30-60 ml) of fresh cherry juice

In a stand mixer, beat the margarine with the sugar until fully mixed, then add the liqueur and cherry juice, beating until smooth and just slightly runny (you should be able to drizzle it). Drizzle it over the bars and allow to set at room temperature.

Cherry Streusel Buns

I used my Skolebrød dough recipe to make these easy Cherry Streusel Buns. You can substitute the cherries with fresh plums, apricots, peaches, etc. Makes 12-24 buns.

1 1/4 cups (or 310 ml) of milk of choice

1/3 cup (or 80 ml) of unsalted butter or vegan margarine

1/3 cup (or 80 ml) of cane sugar

3 tsp (or 15 ml) of active dry yeast

4 cups (or 1000 ml) of unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp (or 5 ml) of sea salt

Fresh pitted cherries

Water, for brushing

1/4 cup (or 60 ml) of unsalted butter or vegan margarine

1 tbsp (or 15 ml) of granulated sugar, I use organic cane

1 tbsp (or 15 ml) of confectioners sugar

1/2 cup (or 125 ml) of unbleached all-purpose flour

1) In a small saucepan, heat the milk, butter, and sugar over low heat, until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. The mixture should be lukewarm, not hot. Transfer to a stand mixer bowl, and stir in the yeast. Allow to bloom 10 minutes.

2) Sift together the flour and sea salt. With a dough hook, stir the flour mixture into the milk mixture until just mixed, then increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough forms a soft ball (this can also be done by hand, if a stand mixer is unavailable). Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

3) When the dough is doubled in size, punch it down, then divide into twelve equal pieces (or 24 for smaller buns). Roll each into a ball, and arrange on a lightly greased baking pan (you could also line the pan with parchment paper instead of greasing it, if preferred). Cover once more with either plastic or a damp towel, and let rise for 30 minutes, or until once again doubled in size.

5) Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. For the streusel, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the 1/4 cup butter with the granulated sugar, confectioners sugar, and flour with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.

6) When the dough has doubled in size once more, punch a small indentation straight down into the centre of each ball. Place one whole pitted cherry into each bun (you can use a half cherry for smaller buns, if preferred). Brush the tops of the buns with water, then sprinkle each generously with the streusel.

7) Bake in the middle of the oven for 17-25 minutes, or until golden brown; the buns should sound hollow when gently tapped. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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