Tasty Monthly Cherry Recipes
Every month we will showcase new seasonal recipes featuring Wisconsin cherries. You can also view an archive of our past recipes.
June
This month's recipes include Cherry Granola, Cherry Sangria, Chicken with Cherry Apricot Sauce and Oatmeal Cherry Cookies.
Cherry Granola
Makes 9 cups
4 cups regular oats
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1-1/2 cups wheat germ
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup whole almonds, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2-1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups dried cherries
Instructions:
Combine first 8 ingredients, mix well. Combine remaining ingredients, pour over oat mixture, mix well.
Spread mixture evenly in 2 lightly greased 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pans.
Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
Cherry Sangria
This refreshing nonalcoholic drink is delicious after a softball game or other summer sports.
Makes 2 quarts
1 (32- to 40-ounce) bottle cherry juice blend
1 (6-ounce) jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 (10- to 12-ounce) bottles club soda or lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled.
Instructions:
Combine cherry juice blend, maraschino cherries with their liquid, orange juice and lemon juice in a large pitcher; mix well. Add orange and lemon sliced. Refrigerate, covered, 2 to 3 hours.
Before serving, add club soda; stir gently. Serve over ice cubes in tall glasses. Garnish with additional maraschino cherries and orange slices, if desired.
(Unless specifically mentioned, use maraschino cherries without stems in these recipes. Maraschinos with stems are great as garnishes. Read the label to make sure you purchase correctly.)
Chicken with Cherry Apricot Sauce
For a simple dinner, grill or broil chicken and top with this tangy sauce.
Makes 6 servings
6 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
1-1/2 cups apricot nectar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 cup dried tart cherries
1 can (17 ounces) apricot halves, drained and cut into wedges
Instructions:
Cook chicken on gas or charcoal grill, under the broiler, or on top of the stove. Season, as desired; keep warm.
In a large skillet, combine apricot nectar, vinegar, brown sugar and mustard; mix well. Add cherries. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Add apricot wedges; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve sauce over chicken.
Oatmeal Cherry Cookies
Makes 4 dozen
1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, soften at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
1 cup (4 oz.) Cherry De-Lite dried cherries
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter with sugars and beat until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, beat for several minutes until light and fluffy. Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon, add them to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in oatmeal and cherries. Drop batter by tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheets and bake until edges just turn brown, about 12 minutes. Let cookies cool in the pan for a minute or two, then remove them to racks to cook completely.
