Cherry Recipes: Cookies, Salad, and Ice Cream

Summer is cherry season – although the season for red berries varies regionally. Christian Truchsess von Wetthausen noticed this as early as 1800: Hence the so-called cherry weeks, each lasting 15 days, an indicator of the best time to harvest for each variety.

Cherry Week marks the beginning of the season each year by the Earliest of Mark variety. The red late harvest is the last to show off in a bright dress, marking the end of the season at the same time. Fruits delight eaters of all ages until the end of summer – and in almost any form: raw, boiled, cooked or as a refreshing drink.

There are about 500 types of cherries around the world

The German Conservation Union estimates that there are around 500 different varieties worldwide. In Germany, however, it is usually divided into only one species, that is, sour, sweet or hybrid cherries, the latter being a cross between the two first mentioned species.

Sour cherries or slightly softer cherries are especially suitable for compote, cakes, cereals and jams. And sweet cherries reveal their soft aroma well in drinks, fruit salads, muesli or desserts, the fruit remains raw.

Fruity snack: cookies with cherries and chocolate

With coffee, as a dessert at a summer picnic or before bed: cookies are always delicious – especially when combined with fruit and chocolate.

Here’s how to do it:

For about 15 pieces, chop 100 grams of dried sour cherries and mix with 200 grams of flour (type 10509), 80 grams of ground almonds and a pinch of salt. Melt 80 grams of coconut oil in a pot. Add 100 milliliters of maple syrup to the sour cherry flour mixture. Finally, finely chop 100 grams of dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa and add it to the cookie dough.

Take large spoonfuls of dough and pile them on a baking sheet. Form the mounds into round cookies and bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. Cool the cookies and enjoy them fresh from the oven.

Sweet Salad: Edible Melon

A fruit salad is a good choice if you want to eat a longer and healthier breakfast on the weekend. In this version, the dish is also partially edible – because it consists of half a melon.

Here’s how to do it:

For two servings, halve a Galia melon, carefully scoop out the insides with a spoon, remove the seeds, and dice. Wash an apple, two nectarines and a handful of sweet cherries. Remove the core or core from apples and nectarines and slice the fruit.

Cut the cherries in half. Put everything in a bowl, add a little lemon and orange juice and mix. Then spread everything over the melon halves and garnish with a few lemon balm leaves.

Icy Refreshment: Vegan Cherry Ice Cream

Ice cream is as much a part of summer as the cherry on every slice of Black Forest cake. Sour cherry ice cream is relatively easy to make on your own and is also suitable for vegetarians.

Here’s how to do it:

For about 550 milliliters of ice cream, boil 260 grams of light raw cane sugar in 150 milliliters of water over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add 200 grams of freshly pitted sour cherries. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool, put in a colander and drain. If you like, save the syrup and use it for something else.

Cut the dried cherries into small pieces. For the ice cream mix, combine 400 grams of vegan cream, 50 milliliters of rice syrup and two teaspoons of lime juice in a blender and freeze in an ice cream maker for about 20-30 minutes until the ice cream is nice and creamy. not difficult at all. Then add the cherry pieces and serve immediately.

Tip: If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can always stir the ice cream by hand during the cooling process.