#FoodieExtravaganza: Cherries

Hey there foodie fans! February is National Cherry Month. I honestly have no idea why though because cherries aren’t in season until June! Maybe it’s because they’re red, tart, and sweet – the same descriptors one would use for their Valentine. Either way, a big thank you to Kaylin of Keep it Simple, Sweetie for hosting our event this month.

I was hoping to make Cherry Champagne Floats. I didn’t want to buy cherry liquor so thought it’d be fun to make it! I was really excited about this culinary endeavor and went in search of frozen cherries. Unfortunately the grocery stores here do not have frozen cherries! They have cherries in a cherry berry medley (which, fun fact, I use in smoothies) but there aren’t any bags of just cherries!

With cherries and ice cream on the brain I decided to go with dried cherries. I made an easy egg free ice cream base and tossed in chopped tart dried cherries and chopped up dark chocolate. I made this ice cream while my parents were visiting – I know my dad always needs something sweet after dinner and this ice cream would be perfect. It was a hit! It has that tart bite from the cherries, the smoothness from the ice cream, and that rich chocolate note from the dark chocolate.

This recipe makes 6-8 servings.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Dried Cherries and Dark Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 C chopped dried cherries
• 1/2 C chopped dark chocolate chips

Steps:

1. In a saucepan over low heat, dissolve sugar in milk with a pinch of salt. Remove from heat and add in the cream and vanilla. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker. Towards the end of churning, add in the dried cherries and chocolate chips. Freeze until ready to serve.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cherry-chip-ice-cream-sandwiches*

Be sure to check out the rest of these perfect cherry recipes:

4 Ingredient Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Balls by Keep it Simple, Sweetie

 Chocolate and Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies by Making Miracles

 Real Maraschino Cherries by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

 Fresh Cherry Crisp by Fearlessly Creative Mammas

 Chocolate Cherry Brownies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

 Breakfast Yogurt with Cherry Sauce by Brunch with Joy

 Cherry Apple Crumble Tart by Food Lust People Love

Cherry Pie Bites by The Freshman Cook

Dark Cherry BBQ Sauce by The Joyful Foodie

Balsamic Cherry Brie Stuffed French Toast by Pantry Friendly Cooking

Cherry Chocolate Coconut Slices by Baking in Pyjamas

Chocolate Cherry Protein Smoothie by Mrs. Penguin

Cherry Danishes by Passion Kneaded

 Dark Cherry-Cranberry Compote by Rhubarb and Honey

 National Cherry Month by A Day in the Life on the Farm

 Crock Pot Balsamic Cherry Beef Roast by Rae Gun Ramblings

Cherry Glazed Cherry Muffins by We Like to Learn as We Go

We hope you all enjoyed our delicious cherry packed foods this month and don’t forget to stop by to see what next month’s ingredient is!

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