Roasted Balsamic-Black Pepper Cherries with Coconut Cream

Cherry season is a short-lived summer treat and this recipe for Roasted Balsamic-Black Pepper Cherries with Coconut Cream is a great way to make the most of it!

Undoubtedly, the best way to eat fresh cherries is as-is. But there comes a point when your hands are stained red, your counter is full of juice splatter marks, and in place of a two-pound bag of cherries there’s just a pile of pits and stems. You still can’t stop buying fresh cherries though (their season is just too short-lived!), but you’re ready to branch out.

Roasted Balsamic-Black Pepper Cherries with Coconut Cream comes in mighty handy at that point.

This treat was inspired by the German dish Rumtopf, which is basically fruit (usually stone fruit and/or berries) preserved in a crock with rum and sugar. I’ve always wanted to try it, but my hubby and I don’t drink alcohol so I wanted to come up with a non-alcoholic version that still bears syrupy sweet fruit.

Here I roast cherries with just a couple other ingredients to highlight their flavor. Use the best-quality balsamic vinegar you can find, and don’t skip the black pepper. You won’t be able to taste the pepper, but it provides a little complexity to the flavor profile and a nice balance to the sweetness.

Served hot, this is more like a crumble-less cherry crisp, and the coconut cream just melts down into the cherries. It’s good that way, but I like it even better served cold. Either way, it’s a really lovely way to celebrate the flavor of cherries. Plus, it’s a really pretty and elegant dessert…perfect for summer entertaining!

Roasted Balsamic-Black Pepper Cherries with Coconut Cream

 

Author: Faith

Nutrition Information

• Yields: 2 servings

• Serving size: 1/2 of recipe
• Calories: 222

• Fat: 11
• Saturated fat: 9
• Trans fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 20
• Sugar: 15
• Sodium: 301
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 2
• Cholesterol: 0

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  15 mins

Total time:  30 mins

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Inspired by German Rumtopf, this dish features cherries roasted with good-quality balsamic vinegar and honey until they're syrupy sweet. Served with coconut "whipped cream", this is a completely luscious summer dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 (13.5 oz/400 ml) can unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk (you will only need 1/4 of the can for this recipe)
• 2 cups (275 g) whole sweet red cherries, rinsed and pitted
• 2 teaspoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Refrigerate the coconut milk (while still in the can) until fully chilled, at least 8 hours, but overnight is better. Open the can from the bottom and drain off the thinner, liquid-y coconut milk (you can reserve it for use in something else, such as a smoothie, if you want). Transfer the thick, waxy-looking portion to a medium bowl, and whip it with a handheld electric beater until light and fluffy. (You will only need 1/4 of the coconut “whipped cream” for this recipe.)
2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Stir together the cherries, vinegar, oil, honey, salt, and pepper in an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Spread out the cherries and roast until they’re softened and starting to burst, about 15 to 18 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
3. Serve the cherries hot or cold, topped with coconut "whipped cream".

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