Cherry Breakfast Bars

Here is cherry treat number two!  I never thought I'd be posting two recipes containing cherries back to back, but here I am.  While I loved both cherry treats I made over the weekend, I'm back to enjoying cherries fresh off the stem.  I don't need to go back and explain my love affair with fresh cherries all over again, so let's move on to these Cherry Breakfast Bars, shall we?

The name of these bars might be a little misleading- they're not really breakfasty.  I mean, they can definitely be enjoyed for breakfast, and I'm not going to deny that I ate a bar one morning alongside a glass of orange juice and called it a meal, but I think they're best enjoyed later in the afternoon, or ideally, as a midnight snack.  I suppose they're called "breakfast" bars because they have oats in them...which is reason enough.  Sounds good to me! These breakfast bars are from one of my favorite cookbooks ever, written by the wonderful Matt and Renato over at Baked in Red Hook (I still haven't been there, but it has become my mission to make it over to Red Hook one weekend before summer is over to have pupusas for lunch at the ball fields and then a giant brownie at Baked for dessert, because that just sounds like the most splendid day ever).  I've become a much bigger fan of bar cookies in recent weeks; it wasn't so much that I didn't like them as much as the fact that they just didn't occur to me as naturally as regular cookies did.  Bar cookies are perfect for summertime baking because they're always easy to assemble, yield a ton, and can last a decent amount of time, making them a great option for summer picnics and barbecues.  When your cookie bars are filled with delicious and fresh summer fruit, they're even more perfect! The breakfast bars from the Baked cookbook use fresh raspberries, but I thought that making a cherry version would be a fun twist on an already delicious recipe.  

Cherry Sorbet

Cherries are probably one of my favorite things about summer.  I know there's a lot of things I could say that about, things like ice cream, peaches, barbecues, lobster rolls, and the list could go on and on.  Cherries, however, will always, always, always be at the top of the list.  They're one of those fruits that I will only eat fresh, and summer is the only time to get them.  Whenever I see a good deal on cherries at the supermarket, I tend to stock up because I know they just won't last.  They're the kind of fruit that I will empty the entire four pound bag into a bowl, and just eat by myself.  I'll pick at them while I watch television; whenever I walk by my kitchen I'll take a moment to eat a few; I pack them in my bag to bring to work.  For me, it's never truly a great summer until I've eaten my weight in cherries.

I've never really liked cooking with cherries because I always feel so bad about doing it.  I'll explain.  First of all, cherries are one of the more expensive fruits that you can buy, even in the summer when they're readily available, so things like cherry pie can get pricey rather quick.  Second, and probably more important, cherries are just so good eaten fresh, right off the stem.  I feel terrible eating them in any other way, because I feel like I'm not enjoying them in their best state!  Regardless, every summer I gather all my strength and convince myself to make at least one thing with cherries, because after all, things with cherries in them are still pretty darn tasty.  I mean, I don't think I'll ever turn down a slice of cherry pie or a scoop of warm cherry clafoutis...so this weekend, I did the unthinkable.  I bought two giant bags of cherries, and made not one, but TWO delicious things with them.  

Classic Sweet Cherry Pie

One of my most extreme summer obsessions involves cherries...lots of cherries.  I am a self-proclaimed cherry fiend, and I simply cannot get enough of these beautiful little summer fruits.  I'm addicted to them, and I have determined that there is no cure for this addiction, and to be very frank, that's totally ok with me.  I will live happily with my summer cherry obsession.  

I love eating cherries when they're fresh, and as is.  If you were to put a giant bowl of cherries, or the usual 2 1/2 pound bag that they sell in the supermarket, in front of me, there's a very good chance that I could eat every single last cherry, completely unassisted (and believe me, this has happened once or twice before).  I tend not to bake with fresh cherries too often (although this cherry clafoutis is a delicious exception, and you should definitely try it out if you're in need of an easy dessert), simply because I can't bear the thought of not being able to enjoy the cherries in their natural state.  This is actually a problem that I have to deal with during the summer almost all the time, and with all fruits in general, to be honest.  I mean, I love the idea of mixing up a fabulous peach cobbler, a refreshing champagne mango sorbet, and a beautiful mixed berry crisp as much as the next crazed food blogger/general population, but eating fruit in its fresh state is an idea that I love even more, especially because in the summertime, these fruits are at their peak, and you just can't find really delicious peaches, champagne mangoes, or mixed berries, let alone cherries, in the dead of winter.  I sometimes feel like I am doing a disservice to the fruit itself by enjoying it in any other form than its natural state. 

But then, I decide to get over my semi-existential crisis mode, and instead bake myself a pie.   

Cherry Clafoutis

Fall is just around the corner, and I am SO ready.  Really, really, really ready, actually.  I just got a sudden urge to make apple crisp and pumpkin muffins with cream cheese centers, lots of bowls of oatmeal, and all things spiced.  I'm ready for crisp and chilly fall breezes, colorful leaves on the trees (and the ground), and I'm ready to pull out my sweaters and boots.  It's time for fall!  I don't know what made me start craving fall so badly all of the sudden; last week I was getting sad that summer was almost over!  I think it was that Macy's catalog that was delivered to my house today...just seeing all those fall inspired clothes and layers made me totally change my mind and start waiting for fall to arrive.  It can't come soon enough!

As much as I want fall to come, I'm definitely still a little sad that summer is essentially over.  I move back to school in a week (!!!), and many of my friends have already moved back to school, and are actually starting classes on Monday!  I definitely need to make the most of the week of summer vacation that I have left, and do as many summer things as I can manage while still devoting a little time to packing...sigh.  I hate packing! Actually that's not true.  I actually really like packing once I get started, I just hate the process of bringing myself from a non-packing state into a packing one...it's kind of like working out.  I hate the process of bringing myself to exercise, but once I get started, I absolutely love it.  But ANYWAY.  Back to what I was saying before. Summer is almost over, and it's a little sad!  I had to make a dessert that highlighted one of my favorite summer fruits, and I figured that a cherry clafoutis was the way to go!

Cherry and Peach Galette

Soooo...it's August 1st today.  Um, what?  Really? No way dude, it can't be August already.  Summer can't be almost over and school can't be just around the corner.  That just seems ridiculous. Sure, fall and school and the promise of warm drinks and cozy sweaters and the changing colors of the leaves seem like nice things, and they of course are, but it's still troubling that the summer is almost over.  What's going to happen to me when I can no longer get massive quantities of fresh summer berries and mangoes and papayas and cherries and peaches!?  I suppose I'll just have to make way for spiced apple cider and cranberry pie and warm pumpkin muffins...not exactly a bad tradeoff!  But, until that happens, let's celebrate what's left of the summer with a dessert that truly highlights the best of summer's fruits.  Cherry and peach galette, anyone? 

I've had it stuck in my mind for a looongg time that I had to make a galette.  I didn't know which type of galette I wanted to make, or where my infatuation with them had come from (I hadn't even eaten a galette prior to making this one), but all I knew is that I HAD to make one, and it had to be soon.  I think it must have had to do something with the simplistic, rustic quality that they have.  They're sort of like, half-pie, and half-tart, but stopping somewhere in the middle because you get too lazy to break out a fancy pie dish or get intimidated by the thought of having to neatly crimp the edges of your crust, weave a lattice, or blind-bake a tart shell.  Laziness can actually be good sometimes, though, and in the case of a galette, I wouldn't even call it laziness.  Intentionally making a half-pie/half-tart is just as satisfying, and just as delicious.  The beauty of a galette comes from the fact that it is so darn easy to prepare, and just seeing a heaping pile of lovely roasted fruits surrounded by a ring of crisp, golden brown cust is enough to make anyone's mouth water.