• Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

  • About Me
    • about pastrygirl
    • faq
    • press
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • My Books
  • Recipes
    • Breads
    • Cakes
    • Candy
    • Chocolate
    • Cookies
    • Custards
    • Fruit
    • Ice Cream
    • Pastry
    • Tarts
  • Sweet San Francisco
    • Sweet Spots
    • SF Events
  • Travel
    • Asia
    • Europe
    • California
    • Hawaii
  • reviews and recs
    • Cookbooks
    • Chocolate
    • Tools
  • Conversions

Cherry Trio

May 26 by Anita 7 Comments

Img_0827a

It’s the beginning of cherry season – when I went to the farmers’ market this week, there were boxes of the red and gold-colored fruits beckoning from the stalls.  The deep ruby Bing cherries were already sweet enough to eat out of hand, while the yellow ones were still a little on the tart side – but perfect for working into dessert.

I picked a trio of recipes from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course; what I like about her cookbook is that every recipe will suggest accompaniments to complement or contrast with the dish. It shows how easy it is to combine a variety of flavors and textures and make the jump from one dessert to a restaurant-worthy composition. Her suggestions are creative and inspired as well; I never would have thought of candied fennel as a partner to cherry cheesecake!

I used Fleming’s recipe for Cherry Cheesecake Tart with Red Wine Glaze but made it in individual portions so it wouldn’t overwhelm the other components of the dessert. The cheesecake, made with cream cheese and sour cream on a graham cracker crust, has a sweet creamy flavor and a wonderfully light, fluffy texture. It  makes a nice base for the cherries, which take on a rich, slightly spicy notes from the red wine and star anise glaze. Fleming’s suggestions for accompaniments are the cherry sorbet and candied fennel.

The second item is based off of her recipe for Cherry Napoleons with Almond Pastry Cream, but because I was so pleased with how my Apple Phyllo Napoleons turned out and I wanted to keep the dessert light, I substituted almond-scented whipped cream for the filling and sprinkled the tops of the phyllo napoleons with crushed almonds and sugar. This variation was just as delectable: the combination of cherries and almonds is perfect and I loved the contrast between the crispy napoleons, billowy cream, and sweet fruit. Fleming’s suggestions for this dish were candied almonds and an almond milk granité.

Img_0831a

The final part of the trio is a cool, sweet cherry sorbet.  It’s important to use red cherries for this (Fleming’s recipe actually specifies sour cherries, which are always scarlet), as otherwise you won’t get the appetizing bright red in the result. For this dish, Fleming suggested candied almonds, fresh cherries, and a chocolate biscotti with pistachio.  Even though I didn’t make all of these suggested dishes, it’s really fun to see just how many different ways you can combine dessert ideas and bring out different aspects of the dishes.

And there we are! Three cherry desserts, just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer!

Local:

Cherries – Hamada Farms, Kingsburg

Butter, cream – Clover Farms, Marin County

Sour cream – Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes

Tagged with: cherry dessert + cherry cheesecake + cherry napoleons + cherry sorbet + Claudia Fleming

Filed Under: Books, Cakes, Ice Cream, Recipes

Related Posts

  • Alsatian Apple Tart FlatlayAlsatian Apple Tart (Classic French Tart Aux Pommes)
  • Pierre Hermé Macarons at SF Cooking School
  • Fig Honey Cake FlatlayFig and Honey Cake with Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream
  • For Love of Lychees
  • Easter Chick Cream Puffs CloseupEaster Chick Cream Puffs
« Food Photography Workshop
Blueberry Tarts with Meyer Lemon Cream »

Comments

  1. 1

    sam says

    May 26 at 11:38 pm

    Hi Anita,

    The cherry cheesecake tart, the napoleon and the sorbet all look wonderful. Bravo! I also made a trio of desserts from Claudia the other day. Clearly great minds think alike!

    Reply
  2. 2

    Kat says

    May 27 at 5:32 am

    these creations look so beautiful. and I’m sure they tasted heavenly. 🙂

    Reply
  3. 3

    Ivonne says

    May 27 at 9:50 am

    Anita,

    I’m speechless. Those are just beautiful!

    Reply
  4. 4

    sam says

    May 27 at 9:59 am

    ooh, ohh ooh! such gorgeous hunger-inducing pictures.

    Reply
  5. 5

    Krysten says

    May 27 at 3:41 pm

    the cherry cheesecake is just perfection!! i love the glistening moisture on the cherries on top.

    beautiful, beautiful!

    Reply
  6. 6

    J says

    May 28 at 9:50 pm

    hi anita, i’m so with you about claudia fleming’s lovely book and all her fabulous suggestions for delicious pairings and accompaniments – your trio of cherry stunners look utterly incredible!

    Reply
  7. 7

    Anita says

    May 30 at 6:34 pm

    sam,
    I saw the trio on your page! I’m glad you find her such a great inspiration too!

    Kat,
    They were all nice but I liked the sorbet the best – it really tasted like pure cherries!

    Ivonne,
    Thank you! It was the cherries that inspired me:)

    Sam,
    Thank you! and thanks mentioning me on your blog, I’m blushing:)

    Krysten,
    Thanks! That was a lucky shot!

    J,
    We seem to share similar taste in cookbooks – I’ve seen some of your fabulous renditions of her recipes!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





About Me
Mentions in the Press
Want to go to pastry school?
Email me

subscribe to receive posts in your inbox

Archives

best of dessert first


The Making of Macarons (Sucre Cuit Style)

Hong Kong Eggettes (Daan Jai) for Mom


Tis the Season

A Better Brioche for World Bread Day


Consider the Humble Chocolate Chip Cookie

A Feast of Figs


Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration

My Own Remembrance of Things Past: Dan Tats


The Slow Drip of Coffee on a Languorous Summer's Day

Still Life of Strawberry Tart

disclosure

This site uses affiliate links. Purchasing through the links will give this site commissions. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

about pastrygirl

Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, baby girl, and rescue cockapoo Snickerdoodle. More about pastrygirl

my latest cookbook


My newest cookbook, Lollipop Love, is now out!

stay connected

Subscribe to new posts by email

  • home
  • my books
  • recipes
  • sweet san francisco
  • reviews
  • conversions
  • shop
  • archives
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

© 2006–2023 Anita Chu. All Rights Reserved. Design by Deluxe Designs