Dried Cherry

It was a happy day when an enterprising midwesterner decided that the surplus of sour cherries could be dried instead of left neglected on the trees. And thus, one of my favorite baking ingredients was born. But this recipe is eminently adaptable and you can use any kind of dried fruit or toasted nuts that suits you. Diced apricot pieces and cranberries, walnuts and toasted pecans, and roasted cocoa nibs have all found their way into various batches of this bark. I even got really crazy once and crumbled candied bacon into a batch. That one met with a few raised eyebrows, but was gobbled up by all.

I love chocolate. But sometimes I want something that’s packed with intense chocolate flavor yet not outrageously rich. These biscotti certainly fit the bill. Italians often add a dash of black pepper to desserts and give them the designation pepato. I share their affection for a hit of peppery flavor in desserts, but feel free to omit the pepper if you’d like.

To boost the reputation of the much-maligned fruitcake, I wanted to create a version quite different from those sticky, oversweet loaves riddled with iridescent fruit and soggy pecans. This recipe was my answer: an exceptionally moist loaf, chockablock with freshly toasted nuts, perky dried cherries, and a double wallop of chocolate flavor, courtesy of cocoa powder and lots of chocolate chips. I was glad that my modern-tasting fruitcake made converts out of those who tried it. But I didn’t expect that so many would want to give it a traditional soaking of spirits to preserve the cake. I set to work and experimented a few times, but I had a hunch that something was amiss when I noticed some movement underneath the gauze wrapping. I unwrapped the cake and . . . well, let’s just say I discovered I was only one of the many creatures who enjoy this fruitcake. That was the end of my experiments. Instead, I just use kirsch-flavored glaze that can be added at the last minute.

I’m not a fan of commercial protein bars. In my opinion, they’re too sweet, more like candy than food. But I do love the idea of portable snacks packed with nutrition. So I decided to make my own and fill them with lots of protein, fiber, and a mild sweetness derived from agave nectar and dried fruit. All my gym buddies love them. They’re a great on-the-go snack or even breakfast in a pinch. Substitute almond butter for the peanut butter to change it up a bit.

Carob chips are a nice change from chocolate in these yummy cookies.

This is an absolute go-to dish for people taking pain medication. Why? Because many pain meds, especially opiates, can stop up the works, if you get my meaning. This isn’t your typical fiber-laden, tasteless concoction. (Can you say bran muffin?) In addition to prunes, the traditional remedy, this compote also includes dried apricots and cherries, and we’ve also brought ginger and cardomom to the party. The result is a delicious compote that smells incredible while it’s cooking and goes great over oatmeal or on toast. For those days when you need a kick start, this blend will nudge you in the right direction. Believe me, it works. Before cooking the compote, it’s best to soak the fruit for a few hours, or preferably overnight, so plan ahead. This is great served warm or at room temperature.

These hearty scones are a perennial favorite, and now, thanks to gluten-free oats, even those on gluten-free diets can enjoy them. Feel free to swap out other dried fruits for the cherries. Dried apricots, cranberries, raisins, chopped dates, or figs are all wonderful substitutions. These are delicious with a little vegan butter!

Oatmeal is one of the healthiest and most energy-packed breakfast foods around. To give our loved ones a great start to their day while keeping a lazy weekend morning—well—lazy, we created this casserole. The three kinds of dried fruit and touch of vanilla dress it up just enough so that it still feels like a treat.

Biscotti are traditional Italian cookies that you bake twice—they’re super-hard and crunchy because they’re meant to be dunkers. What I love about them is that you can flavor them any way you like. I love dried cherries and almonds (a killer combo!), but you can have fun swapping in other dried fruits, nuts, or spices if you want. Biscotti are the perfect dipping cookie—so whip up a batch and grab an espresso, some milk, or better yet, a glass of Vin Santo!

Duck is one of those dishes that can be intimidating because it seems fancy and elegant. But there’s nothing to be scared of—making great duck just takes patience. To get a really beautiful, crackling, brown piece of skin you have to take your time and render the fat SLOWLY. If you rush it, you’ll end up with crispy skin but a thick layer of fat between the skin and the meat—which is totally icky. Taking your time to render the fat will not only make your duck absolutely delicious, but it will also leave you with a treasure trove of duck fat—an ingredient that in restaurant kitchens is considered liquid gold and makes killer Crispy Crunchy Duck Fat Potatoes (page 219). I think that duck lends itself to sweet flavors, so in this dish I use a sweet Tuscan wine—Vin Santo—to reconstitute dried fruit to make a chutney-like sauce with rich chicken stock. Together the rich, meaty, succulent duck and the intense, fruity sauce make this dish perfect for a holiday, a special occasion, or even a Tuesday.

Pork loin is always welcome at any family table or dinner party, and thankfully it turns out to be as easy to make as it is impressive. Assemble it a day or two in advance and just pop the pork in the oven before dinner. The colorful jewel tones of the stuffing make this dish look as good as it tastes. Once you have the basic technique down, you can change the stuffing any number of ways—use different kinds of bread, dried fruit, wine, herbs.

The classic combination of chocolate cake, cherries, and cream found in the traditional Black Forest cake was our inspiration for this cream’wich. In the summertime, fresh cherries can be used in lieu of dried. As is true of all of our ice cream sandwiches, we advise that you make them at least a short while in advance of when you want to serve them. Otherwise, the ice cream tends to squeeze out the sides.

With their assertive flavors, the dried cherries, pecans, and mushrooms in this dish pair well with poultry or game. You can also use this recipe to make a vegetarian stuffing for baked winter squash, such as butternut.

This sweet, fragrant breakfast dish is even more delicious and healthful when topped with slices of banana or strawberries and additional fat-free milk.

Experiment with different varieties of apple and with seasonal fruit when you make this refreshing salad.

You got the way to move me, Baby! Serve with a green salad and boiled baby potatoes.

A mixed dried fruit salad with nuts is a favorite in Egypt during Ramadan, the month-long fast, when Muslims fast during the day and eat after sunset. All through the day, people, hungry and listless, are hardly able to work, and dream of what they would like to eat. At nightfall, when the sky is a cherry red, the cannons boom through the cities signaling the end of the fast, and the muezzins sing it out from all the minarets. The silent city suddenly comes alive with the clatter of spoons and plates, glasses and jugs, and with the sound of relieved hunger and laughter, of music and merry-making. The longed-for dishes wait on tables, trays, and the floor, piled high with ful medames, falafel, and bamia, meatballs and kebabs, khoshaf and apricot cream (following recipe). Every family has its favorite combinations of dried fruits.

I was served this exciting dish by Iranian friends who live near me in London. As the golden crust was broken, the rice, stained patchily with red cherry juice, tumbled out with little meatballs and cooked cherries. Fresh sour cherries are used in Iran in their short season. They are pitted or not, and cooked with sugar until they are jammy. I use dried pitted sour cherries without sugar, with delicious results.

This is an old family recipe which originates in Syria. It is easy to make now that dried pitted sour cherries are available. We used to have to pit them. Serve it with rice or, as was usual in the old days, on miniature pita breads split in half, soft side up.

This is a Persian stew which is a sauce for plain rice. You will find many more Persian sauces with meat in the rice chapter. Use dried pitted sour cherries.