Amaretto Cherries

Amaretto cherries are a delicious way to preserve the summer’s most delicious fruit! If you love fresh cherries, these drunken cherries will knock your socks off. During cherry season, I can’t get enough! But unlike berries, sweet cherries seem to just appear in the stores during the height of summer. Preserve a pound or two for desserts and cocktails!

Substitute them for those dye filled cocktail cherries! Use them as a garnish in a whiskey sour or Amaretto sour. Add Prosecco and some of the cherry juice for a for an Amaretto cherry fizz. Spoon them over homemade vanilla ice cream, on a slice of pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream, or on ice cream sundaes. They’re one of my favorite things to eat straight out the the jar! 

What is amaretto?

Amaretto is an Italian liqueur from the commune of Saronno in Lombardy. Depending on the brand it can also be made with bitter almonds, apricot kernels, peach stones, or almonds. One can drink it at room temperature, over ice, as a mixer in cocktails, or in coffee.

Ingredients for homemade Amaretto cherries

The ingredients are simple with no added sugar.

• Fresh cherries
• Amaretto liqueur

How to make Amaretto soaked cherries

• Pit the cherries. This Cherry/Olive Pitter will pit 1/2 dozen cherries in one go!
• Place cherries in a glass container or jar.

• Pour Amaretto over cherries. Cover, and shake gently. Let stand in a cool, dry place for at least 48 hours. 
• Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

How to serve Amaretto cherries

Substitute them for those dye filled cocktail cherries! Use them as a garnish in a whiskey sour or cherry Amaretto sour. Add Prosecco and some of the cherry juice for a for an Amaretto cherry fizz. Spoon them over homemade vanilla ice cream, on a slice of pound cake with a dollop of whipped cream, or on ice cream sundaes. They’re one of my favorite things to eat straight out the the jar! 

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Amaretto cherry fizz cocktail

Recipe from Cooking Light, 2012.

​Recipe makes two cocktails.

• 1/4 cup of Amaretto cherry juice
• 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 cup pasteurized egg whites
• 1/2 cup Prosecco or sparkling wine

How to make Amaretto cherry fizz cocktail

• Strain 1/4 cup Amaretto cherry juice.
• Place Amaretto into a cocktail shaker with lemon juice and egg whites.
• Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds do get a nice foamy head. 
• Divide between 2 cocktail glasses.

• Top each glass with chilled Prosecco or sparkling wine.

• Garnish each glass with cherries. 

Amaretto sour

The Amaretto sour is a classic cocktail that’s gaining popularity. It first soared to popularity in 1970s and 1980s. 

• 1½ ounces Amaretto liqueur
• ¾ ounce bourbon
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar, 1 part water)
• ½ ounce egg white, lightly beaten
• Garnish with Amaretto cherries

How to make an Amaretto sour

• Combine Amaretto, bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker.
• Shake vigorously without ice for about 15 seconds to create foam.
• Add ice to the shaker and shake again until well-chilled.
• Strain the mixture into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
• Garnish with a lemon twist and Amaretto cherries. 

Love anything with almond flavor? Try some of my favorite desserts

English Trifle with Almond Pound Cake

Almond Biscotti

Cherry Sorbet 

As a flavoring in Chocolate Truffles.

Some of the items used in this post are available at my Amazon Store.

Cherry Pitter

Champage Coupes (These are great for ice cream and other desserts too!

Cocktail Shaker

Gold Cocktail Skewers