3. Sour Cherries - Sour Cherry Macaroons

My first attempt at macaroons and I was pretty happy with the result. A crunchy exterior encasing a light and chewy almond meringue. These are definitely for people with a sweet tooth. The addition of the sour cherries and lemon zest to the filling provides much needed tartness.

Ingredients

For the macaroons
175g icing sugar
125g ground almonds
3 large free range egg whites
75g caster sugar
A few drops of red food colouring

For the filling
150g softened butter
75g icing sugar
A few drops of red food colouring
100g sour cherries
Zest of half a lemon
25g flaked almonds

Method

For the macaroons

Preheat the oven to 140 C.

This recipe makes 20 macaroons (you will need to pipe 40 pieces) so you will need 2 or 3 baking sheets. Line each one with baking parchment.

Take the icing sugar and the ground almonds and whizz to a fine powder in a food processor. Sieve the powder into a bowl to make sure there are no clumps.

In another bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks are formed. Make sure your bowl is clean and completely grease free or the egg whites won't stiffen. In three parts, whisk in the caster sugar until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. Add in a few drops of food colouring to make the mixture a light pink and whisk until thoroughly mixed and an even colour throughout.

Using a metal spoon, lightly fold half of the sugar and almond mixture into the egg white mixture. Add the remaining half and continue to fold until you get a smooth ribbon like consistency when it falls from the spoon.

Next, spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1cm nozzle. Pipe the mixture into rounds approximately 3cm in diameter onto the lined baking sheets. (As you can see from my photo, I piped a swirl on top too but this didn't turn out as attractive as I'd hoped so I'll be going for plain rounds next time).

Leave the macaroons to stand for 15 to 20 minutes before putting them in the oven. They need to form a slight skin so lightly touch a few before baking. They are ready to go in when you touch them and no mixture remains on your finger.

Pop in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing them from the baking parchment.

For the filling

Beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the icing sugar and beat until thoroughly combined. Add a few drops of food colouring to make a light pink colour and make sure the colour is evenly spread throughout.

Chop the sour cherries finely and stir these evenly through the mixture. Add the lemon zest and the flaked almonds and stir once more.

Use the filling to sandwich the cooled macaroons together, making sure each one gets some cherry and almonds.

2. Sour Cherries - Sour Cherry Scones

When Miss C went away to New York this year, she returned raving about a place called Amy's Bakery and a sour cherry scone like no other. She tracked down the recipe and I decided to give it a go. These aren't a regular scone and turn out more like rock cakes than evenly risen buns. This may have something to do with it being my first time making these but they do have a very high fat content which makes spreading an inevitability. They are not the most beautiful things but they do taste pretty good (something to do with the amount of cream involved, no doubt).

Ingredients
510g plain flour
1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
200g light brown sugar
200g sour cherries
Between 600 and 630ml double cream
1 small free range egg, beaten lightly with a fork
Demerara sugar to sprinkle on each scone

You will also need 2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment.

Method

Preheat the oven to 210 C.

In a bowl, evenly mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, light brown sugar and dried cherries.

Make a deep well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour 600ml of the cream into the well. With a wooden spoon stir everything together until a soft dough is formed. The dough should be moist throughout and soft enough to form a round about 2 inches thick that will hold its shape without spreading. See how your dough looks and feels and add more cream if you feel it's a bit dry.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces and gently shape each piece into a round about 2 inches thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the disks in half and then cut each semi-circle into 3 wedges. When you've finished cutting you should have 12 wedges.

Arrange 6 wedges on each baking sheet leaving a few centimetres of space between each scone to allow for spreading. Brush each scone with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar.

Assuming that you don't have an industrial-sized oven, the scones will need to go on separate shelves and for even baking they will need to be moved around. Step one of the baking is at a high temperature to set a crust and encourage the scones to keep more of their shape. Place the scones in the oven (a tray in the top half of the oven and a tray in the bottom half (but not directly on the bottom of the oven)) for 7 minutes. For step two of the baking rotate the tins, reduce the oven temperature to 180 C and bake for a further 10 minutes. Rotate the tins one last time for step three and bake for another 15 minutes. The scones should be golden brown and firm.

Remove from the tins and allow to cool on a wire rack.

These have a rich and luxurious flavour and when teamed with the crunch of the sugared top they really are good. If I made these again I'd experiment a bit. I'd make them a bit taller (in the hope that they wouldn't spread so much and end up flat) and I'd start with a slightly hotter oven to set the crust. Don't let my photograph put you off - the taste definitely makes up for their unattractiveness!

Free treats from the woods

Took a detour on the way from work to go bramble hunting. It was a success!

Trying to incorporate these beauties into a sour cherry recipe. Any ideas welcome...

1. Sour Cherries - Chocolate & Port-Soaked Sour Cherry Brownies

This is a favourite of mine and my work pals. These brownies are inspired by a Green & Blacks recipe and a sultana and port truffle I had from the delectable Montezuma's in Brighton. I almost cried when they stopped making those little cubes of richness - bring back The Drunken Sailor!

Ingredients
300g unsalted butter
300g dark chocolate, minimum 85% cocoa solids
5 large free range eggs
450g granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of good quality vanilla extract
200g plain flour
A pinch of salt
300g dried sour cherries

200ml port

You will also need a baking tin 34 x 25 x 6cm lined with baking parchment.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/gas mark 4.

Place the dried sour cherries in a saucepan and pour the port over. Place on a low heat and allow the port to get warm without simmering or boiling. After about 10 minutes turn the heat off and let the cherries cool in the port. The result will be reconstituted flavoursome bombs, plump with port.

Next, take a heatproof bowl. Place the butter (cut into cubes) and the chocolate (broken into chunks) in the bowl. Take a saucepan (one that you can suspend your bowl over) and put a few centimetres of water in the bottom. Bring to a very very gentle simmer and then place your bowl over the pan. It's important that the chocolate melts slowly or it will seize and turn grainy so make sure the water doesn't boil and make sure the bowl isn't touching the water.

In a separate bowl beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until the mixture is thick, the consistency of double cream, and coats the back of a spoon.

Take your melted chocolate and butter and pour into your other bowl to join your eggs and sugar mixture. Beat together until all is evenly mixed. Sift the flour into this mixture, add a pinch of salt and continue to beat again to evenly combine the ingredients. Finally stir in the drained cherries.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin making sure it is evenly distributed. Place in the centre of the oven for roughly 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them as it can take seconds for a brownie to turn from a luxurious goo-ey square to a dry brick. A few tips to tell when your brownies are done are: when you can smell them; when the top has begun to form a crust and cracks slighlty; and when you take them out of the oven and give them a light shake, they shouldn't wobble.

Once out of the oven, leave in the tin for 30 minutes before dividing into squares.

These are a real treat - very rich but balanced perfectly with the sour cherries. I guarantee they will be a success with any chocolate-loving family and friends. Enjoy with a good cuppa or if you're feeling ultra indulgent, a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredient 1 - Sour Cherries

I'm not generally a fan of dried and candied fruit. Currants, peel, angelica and glace cherries are the work of the devil. However, good quality sultanas and sour cherries are so tangy and juicy I can't resist.