Top Ten Cherry Recipes

One of the many highlights of summer's arrival is the cherry. All I need on a sunny day is a good book, a bag of cherries and somewhere to put the stones. These wonderful gems are a sort of cross between a berry and a nectarine; loads of juice and plenty of flavour. Make sure you enjoy them while they're at their best. To help you along, here's our favourite recipes.

We start with cake, (where else?) more specifically, these gorgeous white chocolate and morello cherry numbers. Chocolate, cherries and booze are a winning combination, aren't they? If you need further proof, try our drunken sunken cherry cakes! 

Cherries will stand up to some exciting flavours, have you tried cherries and cinnamon yet? Butterfly cakes might be a little retro, but you can go full out kitsch with our cherry cola cupcakes!

Yes, chocolate and cherries are a deeply satisfying partnership. The Brangelina of flavours, a bit surprising, but ultimately strong enough to go the distance. (I was going to attempt a portmanteau, but the best I came up with was cherrcolate and that's not right at all.) Even the dairy free amongst us can enjoy this flavour combination in our brilliant brownies.

While we're talking about classic combinations, cherries and almonds are an excellent choice (think Bakewell tart). This cherry and Amaretto roulade has all those wonderful flavours in a soft and creamy dessert. Black Forest Gateaux takes cherries, dark chocolate and kirsch and combines them into a dreamy cake. For those times when you simply couldn't eat a whole gateaux, there's the cookie version to satisfy those cravings. Cherries are even a good hangover cure when you combine them with French toast.

Aside from the obligatory cherry garnish in our cocktails, we're rather fond of using cherry flavoured booze in them. Our Dirty Secret is a cocktail that combines kirsch with bourbon and a clever cola syrup which tastes like your childhood favourite with a powerful kick.

Still peckish? Check out more top ten recipe posts!