Beyond Cherry Tarts: 3 Cherry Desserts That You Have to Try!

There’s so much to love about the flaky, buttery crust and the bursts of sweet-tart flavor — courtesy of cherries — coming together in a magnificent mouthful when biting into a slice of cherry tart. The Americans have loved it forever — cherry tarts are a staple summer dessert in the US—so much so that it has its own designated day: 17 June being National Cherry Tart Day.

However, there’s a whole world of cherry desserts — beyond cherry tarts — that are waiting to be devoured. If you’re a fan of cherry tarts, you will certainly love these three cherry dessert recipes.

Almond Rice Pudding With Cherry & Caramel Sauce

This creamy and fluffy rice pudding gets the best of two worlds—the fruity and tangy sweetness of cherries and the creaminess of caramel sauce.

Ingredients

• 220 gm arborio rice
• 1182 ml milk
• 2 vanilla beans (split lengthwise, seeds scraped and pods reserved)
• 300 gm + 6 tbsp sugar
• Salt
• 480 ml cherry juice
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 226 gm sweet cherries (pitted)
• 59 ml water (boiling)
• 529 gm heavy cream
• 136 gm almonds

Instructions

• In a saucepan, bring 295 ml water to a boil. Add rice; stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add milk and one of the vanilla bean pods and seeds, and bring to a boil. Then, cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. This should take about 35-40 minutes. Turn off the heat and quickly stir 6 tbsp sugar and 2 pinches of salt. Let the mixture cool and then discard the vanilla bean pod. Cover the rice pudding and refrigerate overnight.
• In another saucepan, combine 100 ml cherry juice, 100 gm sugar and the remaining vanilla bean pod and seeds and bring it to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining cherry juice with cornstarch and pour it into the saucepan. Cook over high heat while whisking continuously until the sauce turns clear. This should take about 4 minutes. Discard the vanilla bean pod and add the cherries.
• In a separate saucepan, cook the remaining sugar on medium heat for 9 minutes, stirring until it turns into a golden caramel hue. Slowly and carefully, pour boiling water over the caramel, making sure to whisk. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• In a bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat 293 gm heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then, fold the caramel into the whipped cream.
• Add almonds to the chilled rice pudding. In a bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the remaining heavy cream for about 3 minutes until firm peaks form. Fold the cream into the pudding and serve with caramel and cherry sauce.

You also have to try this chocolate pudding recipe that has cherries and a host of other berries.

Poached Cherries With Mascarpone Cream

This fruity, syrupy and creamy cherry dessert can be enjoyed warm or cold. In case you don’t have mascarpone cheese lying around, you can use whipped cream too.

Ingredients

• 532 ml red wine
• 200 gm sugar
• 1 3-inch strip of orange zest
• 907 gm sweet cherries (pitted and halved)
• 250 gm mascarpone cheese
• 2½ tbsp honey

Instructions

• In a saucepan, combine wine, sugar and orange zest and bring it to a simmer over moderate-high heat. Add cherries and cook until tender. Then, transfer the mixture into a stainless steel bowl to prevent the cherries from overcooking.
• In a bowl, combine mascarpone with honey.
• Before serving, pick out the orange zest peel from the poached cherry mixture. Spoon the cherries into dessert bowls or stemmed glasses and top with a large dollop of mascarpone cream.

Polenta Cherry Cobbler

This twist on the traditional cherry cobbler recipe features the nutty depth of polenta.

Ingredients

• 177 ml buttermilk
• 3 tbsp polenta
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 125 gm all purpose flour
• 200 gm + 6 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (cut into ½-inch cubes)
• 924 gm sour cherries (pitted)
• 1 tsp orange zest (grated)
• ¼ tsp ground star anise
• 1½ tbsp crushed sugar cubes

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 204°C.
• In a bowl, whisk buttermilk with polenta and vanilla extract. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
• Combine flour, 6 tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Incorporate the butter cubes by rubbing them into the mixture; it should resemble a coarse meal. Gradually, stir in the buttermilk mixture to form a loose, wet dough. Make sure to not overmix.
• In a baking dish, toss the cherries, orange zest, star anise and 200 gm sugar. Drop spoonfuls of the wet dough mixture and sprinkle with crushed sugar cubes. Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden.
• Your cobbler is ready to be served!

Before you leave, here’s a bonus cherry dessert recipe — for Oreo Cherry Bomb Cookie Balls — for you!