In honor of National Cherry Month, I wanted to make the amaretto cherry bread from my Lehman’s Anniversary Cookbook. I knew I wanted to make it as soon as I read the recipe, but it took me a while because I did not have any amaretto. It was worth the wait.
This is a very moist, cake-like quick bread. It is great as a dessert, snack, or even as a breakfast treat.
I used canned dark sweet cherries as it is February and they were already pitted. However, fresh cherries would be great. Also the next time I make it, I am going to lightly coat the cherries in flour to see if it will prevent so many of them from being on the bottom.
Recipe: Amaretto Cherry Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. softened butter
- 1 c. sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. amaretto
- 1 c. sour or Bing cherries, pitted and halved
- GLAZE:
- 6 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
- 6 Tbsp. Amaretto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream sugar and butter.
- Add eggs.
- Combine dry ingredients then stir into creamed mixture by hand.
- Add amaretto.
- Fold in cherries.
- Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make glaze by adding amaretto and sugar together and allowing to stand until sugar is dissolved.
- Immediately, punch holes in the top with a toothpick or knife when bread is removed from oven.
- Pour glaze over hot bread. Remove from pan quickly after glaze is absorbed. (Or remove from pan before glaze is applied).
- Dust with powdered sugar.
Quick Notes
Canned, frozen or fresh cherries can be used.
Add 1 c. chopped nuts for cherry nut bread.
This was the first recipe I have ever made using drinking alcohol. My mom used to substitute extracts, simple syrups, broths or water for recipes that called for drinking alcohols. I am not sure this recipe would be the same with out the amaretto but it could be tried with amaretto extract.
Much of the amaretto used in this recipe has the alcohol content greatly reduced by the baking process.
If you are concerned about the alcohol in the glaze not having the opportunity to bake out, it will dissipate some because of the warmth of the bread. Plus, the amaretto’s alcohol taste really mellows as the bread cools. However, a simple syrup with/without amaretto flavoring could be used.