I found this recipe from Taste of Home a little while ago, but by the time I finally got around to making it, I didn't have many cherries left (and didn't want to buy another big bag). So I decided to try cutting the recipe in half. Everything was easily divisible by two (i.e. I didn't have to attempt to cut an egg in half), so I gave it a go! But note that the recipe listed below is the full recipe.
Ingredients
3-1/2 cups fresh dark sweet cherries, pitted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cherries in an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk and melted butter; stir in just until moistened. Spread over cherries.
In another bowl, mix cornstarch, cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter. Mix boiling water and almond extract; pour slowly over top. Bake, uncovered, 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Serve warm.
I pretty much followed the directions except for cutting everything in half (and using vanilla extract instead of almond extract). And I might have used too much water, but that didn't seem to matter. This came out pretty well! The top was a little blonder than I expected, but the dessert held its shape and was very tasty. I had mine à la mode with vanilla ice cream. Delicious!
While I was visiting New Hampshire earlier this month, I had a facial with Mercedes, a woman my mom and I have been seeing for years for our pampering when we're up there. Mercedes and I were talking about what we were most excited to have return after 16 months of COVID, and we agreed that we can't wait to go to concerts again. She mentioned Meadowbrook (now Bank of NH Pavilion) in Gilford, NH, which is similar to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. I looked online to see which shows they had, and there just happened to be a country music concert I wanted to see while I was in the Granite State!
I had never seen Brantley Gilbert before in concert, and as the bad boy of country, I wanted to see what kind of show he performed. Plus, I wanted to check out this venue! Because of COVID precautions, you could only buy lawn seats in sets of four as a "pod." I didn't want to buy four seats when there were only two of us, but I was able to find a set of two on Craigslist. And that really worked out! The venue was clearly not open to full capacity, and even then the show wasn't even close to selling out (they did perform the night before, so perhaps Friday night was more popular). The pod set-up on the lawn was great because you were able to have a lawn chair without having to pay a rental fee (my first time NOT on a blanket or tarp at an outdoor concert), and everyone was so spread out that you didn't feel crowded at all, and no one blocked our view! And because the place wasn't packed, it is the only time I have ever gone to a concert and didn't have to wait in line at the ladies room!
Now time to write about the actual concert itself. Tyler Braden was the opener of the night. I wasn't sure who he was (I knew Tyler Farr, so then I thought maybe I was mixing them up?), but I think he's pretty new and hasn't quite hit the scene yet. But I really liked all of his songs! Unfortunately they have all been released as singles, so I can't buy a CD (yes, I'm an old lady and like to buy CDs). But you can hear them here:
I was so impressed by Tyler Braden. I hope he becomes more popular and does more shows! I would definitely see him again. He did a great job warming us up for Brantley Gilbert, our main act. I knew some of Brantley's songs, but most of them I had not heard before. I have to admit I was a little distracted by the videos playing in the background while Brantley was singing: they were like country's version of rap videos, with country girls dressed in white "shakin' that sugar sweet as Dixie crystal" (if you know what I mean). I guess when you're a star you're allowed to play videos of yourself, but it seemed like the ultimate display of narcissism. And his brass knuckle microphone knocks you over the head a little (no pun intended): we get it, you're a fighter, you're a tough guy, let's move on. Also, I think Brantley put on the COVID-fifteen just like most people... Even celebrities couldn't escape it.
Anyhoo, here are some of the songs Brantley performed:
This was such a fun concert, especially since it's my first one since everything shut down in 2020! I can't wait to see more live music. I have quite the line-up for this fall: Kane Brown, Brothers Osborne, Kip Moore, Celine Dion... Stay tuned for those posts!
One of my favorite summer seasonal treats is cherries. But you always have to buy them in such a large bag! I can only snack on so many cherries by themselves, so I thought I'd bake with them. I found this recipe on the Averie Cooks blog. It sounded yummy and easy, which are my two main criteria when baking!
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
3/4 to 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup cherries (fresh or frozen)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 60 seconds.
To the melted butter, add the brown sugar and stir to combine.
Add the egg, vanilla, and stir to combine. Add the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over mix or the blondies will be tough.
Fold in chocolate chips and fruit, and then pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing it lightly with a spatula if necessary.
Bake for 27-32 minutes, or until edges begin to slightly pull away from sides of pan and center is set.
Allow bars to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Sorry for the terrible lighting. And I forgot to take a photo of the finished product before my sister and I served ourselves... We had already waited over an hour to dig in. We couldn't wait any longer!
Only after I started making the batter did I realize that I don't have an 8x8 inch pan. But I improvised with a trick I learned from the internet: take more aluminum foil than you need and fold over the extra bit to create an interior wall within the larger pan. Otherwise, I followed this recipe closely (choosing to forego the salt and go for a full cup of chocolate chips).
These do taste delicious, and the soft texture is divine, but I would tweak the recipe if I made them again. For one, the chocolate flavor is so strong that it overwhelms everything else. You can barely tell there are even cherries in there! So I would put fewer chocolate chips and add more cherries. I also would add only one teaspoon of vanilla. I was even surprised the recipe called for two, since almost everything else only needs one. And, while of course every oven is different, even at 37 minutes, the inside of my blondies was still very soft, to the point that I was hoping at least the egg got cooked. So don't be surprised if you need to bake yours a little longer.
So I'd definitely make these again, but with a few changes. Otherwise, I recommend!
