Villa del Sol Cherry Pie

5 cups fresh pitted cherries
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 to 2 tbsp butter

Step1
Pit the cherries. If you don’t have a cherry pitter, a drinking straw works well, to remove the pits.

Step2
Mix sugar and cherries in a large bowl and leave standing for 20 minutes.

Step3
Mix in flour and pour into pie shell.

Step4
Clip small bits of butter and sporadically place them among the filling.

Step5
Top with lattice crust and bake at 425 for 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cool time may vary by 5 minutes. In high altitudes bake at 400.

Step6
Cool pie on wire rack, and serve room temperature.


   Pam's Fabulous Cherry Brownies (new for 2008)

Our neighbor, Pam, spoiled us last year with all sorts of cherry treats. Hands down the best were her Cherry Brownies. Pam actually makes her brownies from scratch but here’s the easy version.

-One package of your favorite brownie mix.
-Assemble as directed.
-When you're adding nuts (if you like nuts) add ½ cup (or more—experiment) of our coarsely chopped cherries.
-Cook as directed.

Try not to eat the whole batch by yourself in one sitting. They are extremely rich.



   Maxi's 30 Minutes to Homemade Sweet Cherry Jam

Description
A recipe for 30 Minutes to Homemade Sweet Cherry Jam

Ingredients

• 2 cups prepared fruit (buy about 1-1/2 pounds fully ripe sweet cherries)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4-1/4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 box Sure-Jell fruit pectin

Preparation
Prep: 30 minutes

RINSE clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.

STEM and pit cherries. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Add lemon juice. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 minutes; stir occasionally.

MIX water and pectin in small saucepan. Bring mixture to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling and stirring for 1 minute. Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

FILL each container quickly to within 1/2 inch of top. Wipe off top edges of containers; quickly cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator.

Serves
Makes about 5 (1-cup) containers.

Variations
Important Tip for Jam Recipes: To get exact level cup measures of sugar, spoon sugar into dry metal or plastic measuring cups, then level by scraping excess sugar from top of cup with a straight-edged knife.

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Gary’s Cherry Ice Cream  

Ingredients: (serves 6)
500 g ripe cherries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 strips orange rind
2 teaspoons red currant jelly
1.25 cups cream
3 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence.

Method
Stone the cherries and place them in a saucepan with water, one tablespoon of sugar and orange rind. Cook, covered over low heat, until tender. They are best very soft for an ice cream.

Mix in the red currant jelly and allow it to melt.

Puree the juices and fruit. You should have about one and a quarter cups of pulp. Let it cool completely.

Bring the cream to boil. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar until thick and gradually tip in the hot cream, stirring constantly. Return to a saucepan, heat and cook, stirring until you have a very light custard. Make sure it does not boil.

Remove from the heat and flavor with vanilla. Cool, then chill the custard for an hour. 

Mix with the cherry pulp and either freeze in an ice cream machine or in a tray in the freezer. If using a freezer tray, stir the set portions of ice cream from the edges into the center several times as it chills. 

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   No-Bake Cherry Cheese Squares  

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 can (21 ounces) cherry filling and topping
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and melted butter in a mixing bowl; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Let crust chill while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Put cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, lemon peel and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into prepared crust.

Combine cherry filling and almond extract. Pour over cheese filling. Refrigerate, covered, ready to serve.

Makes 9 servings.

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  Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies  

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. real vanilla extract
1/2 t. real almond extract
2 large eggs
1 c. dried tart cherries
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. chopped pecans
12 oz. bag of Saco semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, cream together butter, Crisco, sugars and vanilla and almond extract. Beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chunks, cherries and nuts. Mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Remove to rack and cool completely. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

A big hit! 

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   Oatmeal Cherry Cookies  

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1-1/2 cups dried tart cherries
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Put margarine, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes, or until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, if desired; add to egg mixture. Stir in oats, cherries and chocolate chips; mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container.

Makes about 4 dozen.

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