Cherries are one of my favorite fruits of the season. Their ruby red ripeness suggests summer itself, and they even have a playful little pit to spit out messily. What could be more deliciously, sweetly carefree on a hot July night? But now August is upon us, which means cherries will soon be packing up their flip-flops ’till next summer. I’ll be truly sorry to see them go.
I wanted to give cherries a proper send-off this year by putting them in some unique, sugar free recipes worthy of their delectability. I wanted something free and easy, no plate required, yet luxurious and rich tasting. Something bright and sunny, yet with the slightest hint of imminent fall’s coziness. I came up with a sour cream and cherry drop cookie and a rustic, cherry-stuffed whole wheat roll which I think fit the bill perfectly, and I hope you’ll give them both a try.
The Pit Of Doom
I admit, I thought taking the pits out of enough cherries to use in a recipe would be so tedious I never tried before. Happily, I was wrong; it went quickly and was good kitchen fun. I dug most of mine out with a mystery tool I found at a flea market, kind of like a small apple corer, but the tip of an all-metal vegetable peeler worked too. And if you don’t have one of those, no worries: it looks like there’s an even easier way to de-pit cherries using a drinking straw. I haven’t tried it, but it sure looks doable in this video, especially if your cherries are pretty ripe.
One thing I learned about pitting cherries is that their juice is free spirited and apt to stain, and will spatter merrily on you, your work surface, and everything nearby if you’re not careful (and I am not). Wear clothes you aren’t fanatical about preserving, juice-proof your work surface with plenty of something disposable, and keep white or light colored pets at a safe distance..
A Little Help From My Friends
I was a bit disappointed with the flavor of the first batch of cookies. My raw cherries were on the sour side, but I forged ahead with high and misguided hopes that their flavor and sweetness would intensify as they baked. Not so. They tasted pretty much the same in the cookies as they did when I was eating them out of the bag. Before I made the next batch, I gave the cherries a boost by stirring them together with a few teaspoons of cherry extract and 1/4 of a cup of Stevia In The Raw, and letting them sit for a while to absorb. Then, they were perfect. They just needed a little help, and don’t we all, sometimes.
Speaking of help, our cat Bubby was guarding the cooling cookies from the windowsill but fell asleep on the job. It was a warm day and there weren’t many cookie burglars about, so I can’t blame him. They were in safe hands, as Bub staunchly rejects people snacks in favor of cat food, making exceptions only for tidbits of peanut butter toast.
And now for the recipes! Sugar Free Sour Cream and Cherry Cookies to your left, Sugar Free Whole Wheat Cherry Rolls to your right. Click the pic, and you’re on your way to cherry baking bliss.
Go back for seconds: taste more Sugar Free Desserts and Sugar Free Cookies
| Stuff That Works (we know cause we use it!) | |||
 silicone bundt pan 
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 Tornado Whisk 
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 9 in. springform
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 silicone baking set 
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