Amaretto Sours with Homemade Sour Mix & Sour Cherry Upside Down Cake

Last summer I scored a huge mess of sour cherries at the farmer's market and went crazy making all things cherry. I was also in the midst of reading  Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan and fell in love with her recipe for sour cherry upside down cake.  Sour cherries are late this year due to the Chiberian deep freeze we suffered through this winter. I had to make my batch this year from bottled but when they arrive at the market, you can bet I will be at it again with round two. Below you will find my drink recipe and Donia Bijan's cake recipe which she kindly granted me permission to reprint :) Enjoy!

Amaretto Sours with Homemade Sour Mix:

Ingredients:

Sour cherries ( if you cannot find fresh used the kind that are jarred in sugar water) 24 oz bottle or approx 2 cups of pitted cherries. There is no need to be exact.
1 bottle of Amaretto
clean and remove stones from cherries. If using jarred - dump out the liquid and rinse the fruit. 
Place the cherries in a glass jar and add the amaretto. Place a lid on the mix and place in fridge.

Sour Mix:

1 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 cup of fresh lime juice
1 cup of sugar - mix well and keep in fridge.

When you are ready for a tasty drink:
Mix about 1/4 cup of the amaretto mix and 1/8 cup of sour mix. Top with Sprite or 7-up. Of course - adjust the measurements to taste. You can either go light or boozy. The cherries pack a yummy amaretto kick.

  Sour Cherry Upside Down Cake (reprinted by permission from Donia Bijan)

   Cherry Compote

   5 tablespoons unsalted butter
   1 cup packed brown sugar
   2 cups pitted sour cherries (drained if bottled)
  
   Cardamom Cake
   4 tablespoons unsalted butter
   1 cup brown sugar
   1 1/2 cups flour
   2 tsp baking powder
   1/2 tsp ground cardamom
   1/2 tsp salt
   1/2 cup of half-and-half
   1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   2 large eggs

  1. Butter and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.  I have also used a cast iron skillet.
  2. To make the compote: melt the butter in a sauce pan with brown sugar. Fold in
      cherries and then poor in the bottom of your cake pan or skillet. Set aside.
  3. Preheat oven to 350
  4. To make the cake: cream together butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy.
  5. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Add to the creamed
      butter alternately with the half-and-half and mix until smooth.
  6. Add the vanilla extract and eggs one by one.  Mix until combined.
  7. Pour the batter over the cherry compote. Place the cake in the center of the oven and bake
      for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes. Run a  knife along the edge of the
      pan and invert onto a platter. Scoop any remaining cherries onto the top. Serve with pistachio
      ice-cream!

Mango Blackberry Salad Two Ways

I was messing around with mangos last week and created two recipes inspired by a Martha Stewart salad we tried last summer. One salad was made with fresh buffalo mozzarella and the other was made with Brun-Uusto (bread cheese).  I am not sure which one I like better. The Brun-Uusto cheese is delicious grilled. It is buttery and chewy while the fresh mozzarella is light and tender. Try them and let me know which one you like better.

Salad Ingredients:

1 champagne mango

buffalo mozzarella or Brun-Uusto cheese (Juustalepia)

1 pint of blackberries

red onion

arugula

Cardamom dressing

1/4 cup white balsamic w/ lemon or squeeze lemon in.

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp cardamom pods (dry roasted & then break open pods & add seeds)

salt & pepper to taste

Version One: Juustalepia Salad

Cut the Brun-Uusto in chunks and then pan fry until completely heated through. Arrange the arugula on a plate with a few slices of red onion. Arrange slices of mango and cheese on the plate. Top with whole fresh blackberries and 2-3 tablespoons of the cardamom dressing. For this version I blended the dressing with 4-5 fresh blackberries. 

Version Two: Mango Mozzarella Salad

Arrange the arugula on a plate with a few slices of red onion. Arrange slices of mango and cheese on the plate. Top with whole fresh blackberries and 2-3 tablespoons of the cardamom dressing.