I was feeling a bit off while pondering if i should share a cherry recipe.
I tend to associate juicy cherries with warmer months even though today temperature rose above 50.
To fend off my misgivings i did a search for Cherries in February and discovered that February is National Cherry Month thanks to Absolute Michigan. Amongst their list of cherry facts, it is noted that "Michigan is the largest producer of Montmorency tart cherries, growing 70-75% of the crop."
Here's a cherry recipe from Sugar Sugar(Andrews McMeel Publishing, Fall 2011) by the Sugar Mommas for whenever the cheery urge strikes you.
Cherry Slices
Makes about 2 dozen 2-inch square bars
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
{A treasured heirloom}
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 11 by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet (or use nonstick cooking spray). Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed until well blended. Add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, and beat until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of the batter.
Spread the remaining batter in the baking sheet. Spoon the cherry filling over the top. Drop the reserved cup of batter by teaspoonfuls over the pie filling. It should look uneven. When baked, the batter on the bottom rises and creates reservoirs of cherry filling.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the batter begins to turn golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into 2-inch squares.
(* From Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story by Kimberly “Momma” Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero/Andrews McMeel Publishing)