Now with an official kindergartener in the house, gone are the days where I had daycare taking care of his breakfasts. Now, I have to make sure he had a good breakfast every morning before boarding the bus. One of my son's favorite breakfasts is pancakes. He loves those fluffy rounds of sweet batter, drizzled with a touch of maple syrup. A couple months ago when they were in peak season, I received a generous amount of Rainier Sweet Cherries thanks to my friends at Northwest Cherry Growers and the Washington State Fruit Commission. I canned some sweet cherries in a variety of ways - jams, jellies, butter, pancake topping, etc - and I'm excited to be able to enjoy a taste of these delicious gems all throughout the year!
One of my favorite canned recipes using the cherries included this Cherry Almond Pancake Topping. Plump, ripe, sweet cherries were processed with pectin, butter, sugar and a touch of almond extract to create a perfect and colorful topping for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, or any favorite morning pastry. Joel was especially excited for a change of pace from his usual maple syrup topping on his short stack... and I'm pretty sure you will be too!
Cherry Almond Pancake Topping
2 1/2 pounds fresh sweet (or tart) cherries, pitted
1 package (1 3/4 oz) powdered fruit pectin
1/2 teaspoon butter
4 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon almond extract
Place whole pitted cherries in a dutch oven and add pectin and butter. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in sugar and almond extract, return to a full boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
About Northwest Cherries and Washington State Fruit Commission
Washington State Fruit Commission is a growers’ organization funded by fruit assessments to increase awareness and consumption of regional stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development, and research of soft fruits from Northwest orchards. It began in 1947 and has since grown to include five states – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. For more information, visit www.nwcherries.com or www.wastatefruit.com.
Washington State Fruit Commission is a growers’ organization funded by fruit assessments to increase awareness and consumption of regional stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development, and research of soft fruits from Northwest orchards. It began in 1947 and has since grown to include five states – Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana. For more information, visit www.nwcherries.com or www.wastatefruit.com.
