I was able to get some tart cherries. There’s something about their elusiveness that is utterly attractive. So, when I saw that Bardenhagen Farms had some and that they would be available in my area, I knew I had to get some!
So I did. I went to the store twice, haggled with one guy. Used my smiley-but-helpless demeanor the next day with a gal there the next day, but I got my cherries. About 3 lbs of them. And they will be well-used.
Though these are tart cherries, they are still tasty. And on a day when one, say, under packs lunch, they are a lifesaver. Mine was the car from which cherry stems, pits and leaves were being nonchalantly dropped from the driver seat window.
Tart cherries are notoriously delicate, so I wanted to get started with using the right away. So, I baked this cake. I modified a few things. My cake doesn’t have cinnamon, but it does have vanilla in the crumble top. I also added almonds.
This cake was all about delayed gratification. I baked it in the morning before work and endured the day knowing that it was at home waiting to be sliced and tasted. It lived up to the hype. What hype? The hype that built in my mind all day long. I love the tart cherries in this cake. It offsets the sweetness of the brown sugar and almond topping.
I can’t wait to continue on my tart cherry adventures, and I hope that I’m able to get them in the future!