dried cherry

Cherry Tart

all purpose flour

sugar

salt

(2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

cherry preserves

chopped dried Bing (sweet) cherries (about 2 1/2 ounces)

lemon peel

almond extract

unsalted natural pistachios, chopped

milk

Bon Appétit

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles fine meal. Add egg and process just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Mix preserves, chopped cherries, peel, and almond extract in medium bowl.

Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round. Transfer round to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough gently into pan; trim overhang even with top of pan sides. Spread filling in crust; sprinkle with pistachios. Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 11-inch round; cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Arrange several strips, spaced 3/4 inch apart, over filling. Top with more strips at slight angle, forming lattice. Press strip ends to edge of pan, trimming overhang.

Beat egg and whole milk in small bowl to blend. Brush some of glaze over lattice crust; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake tart until crust is golden brown and cherry filling is bubbling thickly, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool tart completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD: Tart can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

This is my ultimate cheesecake: sweet cream cheese, salty peanut butter and tart sour cherries all mingle together to create one perfectly balanced flavor sensation. It is set with gelatin, which means it takes a little longer to make, but the beautiful smooth texture makes it worth the wait.

Peanut Butter and Sour Cherry Cheesecake

Butter,

(about

tbsp caster (superfine) sugar

vanilla bean paste

tbsp kirsch (optional)

digestive biscuits

(about 2 tbsp) salted peanuts, plus extra for decorating

(5 1/4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

(about 1 3/4 [8 ounces] packages) full-fat cream cheese

(3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar

(1 cup) heavy cream

gelatin

(1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter

(2.6 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped

golden syrup

milliliters (about 1/2 cup) double cream

20cm (8-inch) round springform tin

Epicurious

Grease a 20cm (8-inch) springform tin and line with baking parchment.

Put the dried sour cherries into a small saucepan with the sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of water. If you are using kirsch, add this now. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 4–5 minutes. The cherries should soften and absorb some of the liquid. Set the pan to one side to cool.

To make the biscuit base, blitz the digestive biscuits and peanuts in a food processor until they resemble very fine crumbs. Pour the melted butter into the crumbs and blitz again until all the biscuit crumbs are coated in butter. Alternatively, finely chop the peanuts and place into a plastic bag with the biscuits, use a rolling pin to crush them to a fine powder, then put into a bowl and stir in the butter. Tip the crumbs into the base of the prepared tin, then press them down firmly with the back of a teaspoon to make sure they stick together, then chill for at least 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, caster sugar and egg yolks until smooth. Stir in the cream until you get a thick but not stiff consistency.

Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water and allow to soften completely. This will take around five minutes. Melt the smooth peanut butter in the microwave in a medium bowl for about 30 seconds until it is even smoother. Squeeze the gelatin leaves to remove any excess water, then stir into the warm peanut butter until completely dissolved.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the peanut butter and mix well, before pouring all of the peanut butter mixture into the remaining cream cheese and stirring until completely smooth.

Drain the cherries then add half to the cream cheese mixture and stir in. Spread onto the prepared biscuit base and use a spatula to smooth the top. Leave to set in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, but for at least four hours.

When the cheesecake feels firm enough to hold a layer of chocolate (usually after around two hours of chilling), make the chocolate topping. Place the chocolate, golden syrup and cream into a small bowl. Microwave on high for around one minute, removing from the microwave and stirring well every 15 seconds, until the mixture is smooth and no lumps of chocolate remain. Pour over the cheesecake, tilting the tin until the whole top is covered. Decorate with the remaining sour cherries and peanuts. Chill for two hours before serving.

The raw broccoli salad at Emmy Squared in Brooklyn showed us that broccoli can be delicious even when squeaky raw. The secret? Over-the-top flavor from a creamy peanut dressing and pops of sweetness from dried cherries.

Broccoli Salad With Peanut Dressing

natural creamy peanut butter

Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar

soy sauce

sesame oil

½" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

Kosher salt

broccoli

mini seedless

3" daikon, peeled, thinly sliced

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

tart cherries

(for serving)

The raw broccoli salad at Emily and Emmy Squared showed us that broccoli can be delicious even when squeaky raw. The secret? Over-the-top flavor from a creamy peanut dressing and pops of sweetness from dried cherries.

Whisk peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, oil, ginger, and 2 Tbsp. water in a medium bowl until smooth. Season with salt.

Do Ahead: Dressing can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

Slice stems from florets, cutting away as much stem as possible. Cut up larger florets into bite-size pieces. Peel stems and thinly slice. Combine florets and stems in a medium bowl. Add cucumbers, daikon, oil, and vinegar and toss to combine; season with salt.

Spoon peanut dressing onto a platter and arrange salad over. Top with cherries and cilantro.

Black Forest Torte 

water

kirsch (clear cherry brandy)

cocoa powder

black pepper

unsalted

bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

sugar, divided

eggs, room temperature

vanilla extract

chocolate chips

cream cheese, room temperature

mascarpone cheese (12 ounces)

whipping cream

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Place pan on baking sheet. Combine cherries and 1/4 cup water in small saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until liquid almost evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add kirsch and boil 1 minute. Standing back, carefully ignite kirsch. When flames subside, mix in preserves. Cook until preserves boil and thicken, about 3 minutes. Cool.

Whisk flour, cocoa, pepper, and salt in small bowl to blend. Melt butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat; mix in 1/2 cup sugar. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, remaining 1 cup sugar, and vanilla extract in large bowl until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Using spatula, mix in melted chocolate mixture. Fold flour mixture into batter. Fold cherry mixture and chocolate chips into batter.

Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top is dry and slightly cracked and tester inserted into center of brownie comes out with some moist (not wet) batter attached, about 55 minutes. Cool brownie in pan on rack 15 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides and cool cake completely. Replace sides of pan. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Puree cherry preserves in processor until smooth. Transfer to small resealable plastic bag.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in medium bowl until very smooth. Reduce speed to low. Beat in mascarpone just until smooth. Add cream and beat just until blended and still soft (do not overbeat). Immediately spread mousse evenly over brownie. Cut off enough of 1 corner of plastic bag with preserves to make 1/8-inch opening. Pipe preserves in parallel lines across mousse, spacing 1 inch apart. Starting 1 inch in from 1 side, drag tip of toothpick across lines in 1 direction. Repeat in opposite direction, 1 inch from first line. Continue, alternating direction every time to form chevron pattern. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Cut around pan sides, then remove sides. Let torte stand 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Though this cake requires you to soak dried fruit overnight in a mixture of rum and orange juice, allowing it to become plump and soft and flavorful, before you assemble the batter, it’s exceedingly faster (and every bit as delicious) as a traditional fruitcake that takes weeks to age. For the best flavor, use the highest-quality dried fruit you can find.

One-Day Fruitcake

dried cherries

dried apricots, cut into 1-centimeter pieces

prunes,

cranberries

dried currants

dark rum

orange juice

unsalted butter,

all-purpose flour,

walnuts

kosher salt (such

ginger

baking powder

allspice

baking soda

cloves

dark brown sugar

lemon zest

orange zest

almond paste

eggs,

apricot preserves

confectioners’ sugar

lemon juice

kosher salt

NYT Cooking

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/11/30/dining/28fruitcakerex/28fruitcakerex-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600.jpg

Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop Stylist: Christina Lane.

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/11/30/dining/28fruitcakerex/28fruitcakerex-threeByTwoLargeAt2X.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/11/30/dining/28fruitcakerex/28fruitcakerex-mediumSquareAt3X.jpg

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/11/30/dining/28fruitcakerex/28fruitcakerex-facebookJumbo.jpg

Make the fruit mixture: The day before you bake the cake, combine the dried cherries, apricots, prunes, cranberries, currants, rum and orange juice in a medium bowl and fold thoroughly to combine. Cover the bowl tightly and let sit at room temperature until the fruit is soft and has absorbed all (or nearly all) of the liquid, stirring once or twice, 12 to 24 hours.

Arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously brush the inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter. Dust the inside of the pan with several pinches of flour, then tap the pan on the counter at different angles to coat every buttered surface. Tap out the excess, then set the pan aside.

Scatter the walnuts (or pecans) across a sheet tray and transfer to the oven. Toast until the walnuts are golden brown and fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet, then chop the walnuts. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, ginger, baking powder, allspice, baking soda and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, lemon zest and orange zest. Pinch off small pieces of the almond paste and add to the bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium-low until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, increasing the speed just to incorporate each egg before decreasing to low and adding the next, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla, then, on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until it disappears. Tip in the fruit mixture, along with any unabsorbed liquid, along with the chopped nuts; use a flexible spatula to fold the batter several times, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until the fruit is evenly distributed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, distributing it evenly all the way around and taking care not to form large air pockets. Smooth the surface, then bake the cake until the surface is golden brown, risen and cracked, and a cake tester inserted into a crack comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the surface of the cake. Use a pastry brush to generously soak the cake with about half of the rum. Let the cake absorb the rum for a few minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Poke more holes all over the cake and dab the remaining rum across every surface.

Warm the apricot preserves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often with a heatproof flexible spatula, just until the preserves are fluid. Pass the preserves through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with the spatula to extract as much of the liquid as possible (discard the solids, or scrape back into the jam jar). Use the pastry brush to paint the strained jam over the cake, covering every surface. Let the cake sit uncovered until it’s completely cooled and the jam is set (it should be slightly tacky but not wet to the touch).

In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and whisk slowly to combine, then whisk vigorously until you have a thick, smooth icing. Slowly pour the icing onto the tallest part of the cake all the way around, letting it slowly cascade down the side. Let the cake sit until the icing is completely set, about 1 hour.

Ah, the memories. My Mother was also a Department 56 queenie with the entire LR dedicated year round to her numerous villages. The collection is something my brother got all of, and to this day I am a little little miffed; I wanted the North Pole collection.
Another tradition was her fruitcakes, which had the rare quality of being moist due to copious amounts of orange marmalade and brandy. I have her original handwritten recipe and made it for several years, until the dried fruit became so dear

I've never had fruit cake before but love Claire Saffitz so I made this. She has converted me into a believer. I'd like a slightly boozier version. I wonder if upping the amount for the post bake rum "feeding" would work. Tip: Use a good serrated knife to slowly saw away the slices or it will fall apart on you.

Loved the recipe. It reminded me of the fruit cake I grew up eating. However, it’s way more glamorous.

What type of flour is recommended in this recipe? The flour quantity in the ingredient list is listed as 2 cups or 270 g. This is inconsistent with the standard weight of a cup of AP flour referenced by both NYT Cooking (128 g) and King Arthur (120 g).Choosing flour type is always challenging when I use American recipes, since Canadian AP flour has higher protein (13%) than American ( 9-12%). Some commentators reported a crumbly cake.  Perhaps they used a lower protein/gluten AP flour?

I’ve made this cake as written two years in a row and love it! The only thing that irks me is I can’t seem to get clean slices, possibly due to the chunky nuts and fruit, but each slice comes out very crumbly. Next year I’ll try adding a couple of tablespoons of sour cream to moisten things up a bit or maybe a spot of neutral oil

Changed my mind about fruitcake! This is absolutely beautiful and delicious. Definitely a project - I enjoyed every minute! I love that Claire said if you don’t like a particular fruit, use something else. I did! Subbed in chopped dates for the prunes. So good!

I do have a question - my icing wasn’t as snowy white as pictured. You can see through it. Did I ,are it too thin maybe? Just wondering if the wonderful NYT community can weigh in. Thanks!

I made this 2 years ago aand still remember how outstanding it was. Excellent recipe, kudos to CS.

A long laborious recipe, but well worth the time and effort. The best fruitcake I've ever tasted. Boozy, fruity and moist.

This was delicious and held at room temperature for about 10 days. Started to look a bit sloppy and crumbly but the taste remained.
Thanks Claire for the very explanatory video. I watched it several times to get the hang of it. It helped a lot.
This is a rather expensive cake to make but so worth it! 
Mine turned out like the picture but more drips of icing. I will definitely make it again.

I try to make a fruitcake for my mom every year, as she loves them. The past cakes have all been ones that I needed to feed or age for weeks but this one was way easier and the family favorite so far. In order to modernize it a bit I used a mixture of dried strawberries, cherries, cranberries and dates instead of currents etc and I glazed it with a cream cheese glaze. The cake was so moist and even some of the fruitcake haters liked it!

Made my third "Saffits" Fruitcake cake of the season and all have come out great and eaten quickly by three different parties.  Didn't have apricot jam the third time so used plum jam, which darkened the cake even more.  Also used Walnut & Fig Rum: a winner!  My daughter divided her recipe into small loaf pans wanting individual portions but came out a bit drier than mine.  Also, in my most recent one I used green raisins that gave it an even juicier texture.  Added to my yearly tradition.

I made this and it was enjoyed by many! I tried making it in advance so that it wouldn’t turn out crumbly like many commenters noted, however, mine did still turn out quite crumbly. I might leave out just a little dried fruit next time to see if that helps, or chop the fruit even smaller.
I really enjoyed the flavor the almond paste brought! The cake didn’t taste boozy at all, which I also appreciated, however, I really didn’t taste the rum at all, so maybe a little more would be ok :)

This will irritate some. I love the flavours of fruitcake but cannot stand the texture fruits in cake. I baked this cake and it was lovely. My sister and mum are beyond thrilled by it. I want a fruitless version: a dense boozy spice cake, with nuts and maybe some chocolate chunks, or maybe no chocolate.

Simply the best fruit cake I have ever eaten. It's one of the few recipes I have followed as written, with the exception of using more dried cranberries instead of dried cherries, as I couldn't find them. Making homemade almond paste was surprisingly easy and satisfying.  It turned out exactly as shown in the picture.

4 large eggs, at room temperature.
It is listed near the bottom of the ingredient list for the batter.

How many eggs? I do ot see eggs in the ingredient list.

I'm Irish. Grew up with rich, brandy soaked fruit cake and loved it - still have my grandmother's hand written recipe 70 years later.  BUT this cake is a different bird and rather than make suggestions for changing it why not give it a go as written. That's what I plan on doing . And hey, I'll have the extra brandy on the side.

I inquired about this for a different recipe (not owning a bundt pan) and was told that 2 loaf pans would work. You can then give one 'fruit loaf' away!

Made hundreds of fruitcakes since 1979, all wrapped in cheesecloth and placed in plastic zip-lock bags before I pour brandy on them. Made 32 this year alone. My best advice: use more brandy or rum on the cake and give it time to soak into the fruit/nut mix. I pour enough brandy on mine so they are well soaked with a tablespoon or so left on the bottom of the bag. I flip the cakes for a few days so the brandy is absorbed before they are put away for a month of aging. Oh, it is all well worth it!

Hi, Kathleen, Instead of alcohol, Bread Ahead Bakery in London suggests subbing an equal measure of a really strong brew of black tea, such as an Earl Grey. Bread Ahead uses this tip so they can offer their mince pies and Christmas Cakes to those who can’t or prefer not to consume alcohol. Also makes the taste of your list expensive ingredients (the dried fruits and nuts) really shine without the alcohol, which does tend to overpower things for me. Happy holidays!

This is a perfectly lovely cake, but if you are seeking a simpler alternative, do a search for the "Tu Bi'Shvat Cake" posted by food blogger David Lebovitz. It is a loaf sized cakes made with dried fruits and nuts, warm spices, 3 eggs, and just enough sugar and flour to hold it together. It takes about 10 minutes to put together, and 90 minutes to bake in a 300° oven. It is the easiest cake I know, and everyone I've made it for, loves it.
(Tu Bi'Shvat is a lesser known midwinter Jewish holiday.)

You could use an equal amount of apple juice or apple cider, or perhaps a fortified wine like a semi-dry marsala or madeira if those flavors are more to your liking. If it's the taste of raw alcohol you object to, you could boil the rum for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol. In that case, I'd start with twice the amount called for and boil until it's reduced by half.

I made this yesterday in small bundtlette pans. I tested after 40 minutes. Total baking time was approximately 50 minutes.

I found the substitution of almond butter for the almond paste led to a perfect cake.

I haven't made this fruitcake yet, but in my experience with other recipes, fruitcake is rich enough without icing.  I would consider skipping the icing.

I often want to bake something that requires soaking dried fruit overnight. I put the fruit in a Pyrex measuring cup, cover it with rum or brandy and heat it in the microwave until it starts to bubble. Cover it for a half hour and it's good to go.

I'm not a fan of almond paste. Can it be left out? If not, what would be a good substitute?

To the issue of shelf life, my yearly batch of 10 Guiness Stout fruit cakes wrapped in cheesecloth soaked & topped up from time to time in brandy last until all eaten up - about a year.  The cake Robert Scott took with him on his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole was found in excellent condition over 100 years after he left it there - "almost edible".

Fruitcake gets a bad name - undeserved in my opinion.  The delight is there is no end of dried and candied fruits which can be added.

Having been steeped in the traditional English fruitcake recipe, this cake is a revelation.  I love the addition of almond paste (homemade of course) and the non- traditional fruits steeped in rum and orange make for  an enriched flavour profile. Made as per recipe, but suggest not cutting the cake til the following day when it is fully set.  Delicious with a cup of tea.

I have made cakes like this, with dried fruits and nuts--they are good. But real, traditional fruitcake must use candied fruits, too. To get around the tasteless supermarket candied fruits, I make my own, which takes weeks but is well worth it. Candied pineapple, orange, & citron (see David Leibowitz's recipes) and apricots, can be glaceed in season when fresh, refrigerated until baking time before the holidays. It is possible to find candied cherries without artificial colors (from Britain).

Hi,
I would like to substitute the alcohol for something else, any suggestions?

https://vp.nyt.com/video/2023/01/09/105394_1_CS-one-day-fruitcake-CV_wg_480p.mp4

Top 5 dried cherry recipes from across the web

The most viewed dried cherry recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Cherry Tart

Peanut Butter and Sour Cherry Chees...

Broccoli Salad With Peanut Dressing

Black Forest Torte

One-Day Fruitcake

Top 5 dried cherry recipes from across the web

The most viewed dried cherry recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Cherry Tart

Peanut Butter and Sour Cherry Chees...

Broccoli Salad With Peanut Dressing

Black Forest Torte

One-Day Fruitcake

The most viewed dried cherry recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine