cherries Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

Moist Cherry Almond Muffins

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:20:07 +0000

Back in college when I was working at the Blue Heron Coffeehouse, Cherry Almond was a popular muffin flavor that showed up in the bake case at least once a week. Since my reader favorite Blueberry Muffin recipe already had almond flour in it, I decided that it would be very adaptable for this nostalgic flavor. It works beautifully in this base recipe, and is a perfect way to start a morning. These muffins are light with a tender crumb, and almond flour and almond extract give them a well-rounded flavor. Some muffin tips from my testing: *I found adding almond flour keeps the crumb tender and light, and also adds rich flavor. I don’t recommend swapping it with all-purpose flour. *Since muffin pans are all unique, I like to bake a test muffin when I first try a recipe to see how it bakes up in my pan. This way I know how to adjust how much batter to put in the pan if the muffin spills over while baking. *Filling the muffin cups so that every other cup is empty can help the muffins bake higher. Leaving that extra space in between muffins gives them more room to rise, […]

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Creamy Cherry Streusel Cakes

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 15:37:44 +0000

There are two sour cherries trees in our front yard, and the last two weeks it all came to fruition: the cherries gleaming ruby red, then picked, and pitted, and frozen. I was able to get one large batch picked before the blue jays decided they would spend their days in our trees, feasting on cherries and squawking at us if we came near. Then, two baby deer found the trees, and they were so beautiful nibbling on the bright red fruit in the setting sun, that I decided to let nature enjoy its bounty. But I did have enough sour cherries to make Turnovers. And Cherry Rhubarb Crisp. And, these sweet little jammy cakes. I’m not going to lie; cream cheese swirl is what I’ll pick in a bakery case lineup any day. There is a layer of cake, then cream cheese, tart jam, and streusel topping in every perfect bite. I like to eat them just barely warm, but they are great the next day too. One of my favorite things about this recipe is the streusel topping is made from the dry cake base, which cuts down on extra bowls and time preparing them. Yes, I’ve made quite a […]

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Flaky Cherries & Cream Turnovers

Sarah Kieffer — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 15:55:43 +0000

I forgot they were in my freezer. Door County cherries, tucked underneath bags and bags of raspberries the kids and I had gathered every summer afternoon from our backyard bushes. I had to dig through those berries and move them around and curse slightly to get to the bottom of that freezer drawer. But there they were, still glittering and ruby red and perfect. It seemed the cherries were calling me. They were a memory, a lovely one, and it had been a week filled with bad news from the outside; articles and TV anchors whispering deadly affairs again and again: 92 people who died of thirst and Man kills family and then himself and Funeral workers steals gold teeth from bodies and 5 stabbed to death by relative and You are not safe. You are not safe. You are not safe. I tend to turn to puff pastry when I’m anxious. The rolling, the turns, the soft dough on my hands helps me focus for a moment. And this batch would be filled with those memorable cherries. They were picked this summer, one short weekend when [A] and I got to steal away by ourselves. We made an impromptu […]

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Cherry Rhubarb Crisp with White Wine

Sarah Kieffer — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 15:27:37 +0000

Rhubarb is an important plant to all Minnesotans. Not only can it be found in nearly every neighbor’s garden and growing alongside walking paths and trails in local parks, but for those of us living in the North, it is also a symbol of winter’s end. As its green leaves and pink stalks start to peek out of the ground, there is a collective sign of relief among us all. Winter has come and gone. Spring is here at last. I grew up in a neighborhood where neighbors and friends often sent over a rhubarb crisp, and wanted to recreate the nostalgia while also giving this dessert a little update. Sweet cherries were a delicious addition and also added beautiful color (some rhubarb is green and bakes up a disappointing brown), and sweet white wine added flavor while also helping me use up the end of that box of wine. About this recipe Using Wine in a Fruit Crisp I often bake with alcohol; I find the addition of wine or liqueurs adds good flavor and moisture to what I am making. I added sweet white wine here on a whim and loved how the cherries, rhubarb, and wine all […]

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cherries and cream slab pie (some notes on how I make pie)

Sarah Kieffer — Sat, 25 May 2019 06:40:04 +0000

It took me a long time to feel confident making pies. I never actually made one until my late twenties, as they had seemed so daunting and time consuming; so much work for something that had such a high percentage of not turning out right. My first attempt actually was incredible: I made a perfect apple pie. The crust was flaky and golden brown, the filling perfectly cooked, with apples soft but not mushy. I remember bringing it to my Grandma’s house, and she raved and raved about it (she may have mentioned it was better than the pie my mom made) and I’m pretty sure she ate the rest of it for dinner that night. Brimming with confidence, I made another pie the next day: same recipe, same apples, same kitchen equipment, and alas, it was a total disaster. I’ve discovered I often have beginners luck with baking, only to completely mess up whatever I am making the next time I go to bake it. I think it’s the grace of the kitchen gods: they know of my love and need for baking, but also my lack of patience and follow through. I’m notorious on giving up on something […]

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(almost) no bake white chocolate cheesecake with sour cherry swirl

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 04:45:50 +0000

I love cheesecake, and often in the summer I turn to the no-bake variety. On blazing hot days it’s nice to keep the oven off, and while the texture of a no-bake cheesecake isn’t completely authentic, it’s still so dang good. This white chocolate cheesecake is from Nigella Lawson’s latest book, At My Table. I’m happy to report it’s delicious. I added a sour cherry swirl and love how the white chocolate and cherry compliment each other here. ********************************************** There’s something in baking that plays into our desire for transformation, because it is much more alchemical, and that’s a beautiful thing. I think also, that no one needs a cake. But that’s what makes it special and wonderful and a treat. – Nigella Lawson I first discovered Nigella Lawson at the library. I had just started baking at Bordertown Coffee, and was working solo in the kitchen, 50-60 hours a week. I had some experience under my belt, but was now in charge of it all: opening the kitchen, baking everything we sold for the day, washing all the dishes I used plus anything the counter staff couldn’t get to, jumping in on the counter when it got crazy busy, and keeping […]

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Peach Apple Cherry Pie

Sarah Kieffer — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 22:02:37 +0000

‘Have you been online yet?’ my husband asks from the couch. It’s 8:45 am, and I am searching the kitchen for breakfast. Most mornings, upon waking, I reach for my phone next to me on my nightstand, and check all the icons chirping at me like hungry baby birds. Email, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, usually in that order. I despise the impulse, but I’m too tired to stop my arm from reaching, and its become a daily habit. Summer vacation is upon us, however, and I’ve set new goals for myself. Wear a small gray arm band to record my daily steps. Read books at night before bed instead of falling asleep to the internet. Eat a healthy breakfast, then go ahead and see what the world brings. So I hadn’t heard the news. ‘No,’ I replied. ‘Something bad?’ He handed me his phone with a stony face, and I knew instantly. Another shooting. I felt the pit in my stomach, the one that has been there since Columbine, that grew into something fierce after Sandy Hook. The one that triggered my anxiety the last day of school, just two days ago, the one that made me whisper as my kids […]

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peach and cherry galettes

Sarah Kieffer — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 03:03:14 +0000

I’m sneaking in for a post. I just couldn’t help myself; there were cherries. Not just any cherries, but hand-picked cherries dripping from trees like drops of rain: red, sparkling drops of sweet-tart rain. We filled our bucket gleefully, and my baker-heart had prophetic visions of flaky turnovers leaking dark juices, and sweet-sour chutney served next to roasted chicken; cherry and vanilla bean compote to cover the tops of pancakes and waffles, and of course, pies. Real cherry pies with real Door County cherries, to celebrate these August days that are slipping away… The end of summer is knocking loudly at our door and I’m not answering yet, hoping he’s read my ‘no soliciting’ sign and takes a hint, tries the next house. We’re not ready, not yet, my heart has been whispering while pitting cherries, while watching the sun set earlier each night, while filling out piles of paperwork for kindergarten and trying desperately not to let my unstoppable tears smudge the ink. I’m just not ready to let go, let her go. Peach and Cherry Galettes adapted from America’s Test Kitchen I didn’t change much. This is one of my most favorite summer desserts! The tart dough is […]

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