Maraschino Cherry and Chocolate Chip Loaf

Last Saturday, I baked a fragrant Maraschino Cherry and Chocolate Chip loaf. It was meant for a get together with friends, some of whom I saw after a really very long time. It was a beautiful sunny day and we ate outdoors, picnic style. With the changing weather its just great to get out in the open. The warmth of the sun is reassuring and there are so many pretty wild flowers around.

This cake is a simple and easy to do loaf. I am baking with Maraschino Cherries after a very long time and was a tad nervous of the outcome. I was also unsure of the cherries. Don't get me wrong - I got the cherries from a really great specialty store. But I always fear hard and rubbery cherries. Luckily this batch was beautiful - produced small batch, mighty expensive for a small jar, but steeped in gorgeous syrup. In fact they were tender cherries, properly pitted, and came with the stem attached. They were not over-sweet either and I just could not stop myself from eating a few right out of the jar. The cake turned out really well too and we were left with just a few crumbs to share with the ants!!

Ingredients:
1 cup Maraschino Cherries, drained and chopped
1/2 cup cherry syrup, reserved from the jar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Open the jar of Maraschino cherries. Drain out the cherries and reserve the syrup.
2. Chop about 1 cup of the cherries coarsely. Set aside. 
3. Place 1/2 cup of the reserved syrup ready to use.
4. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the almond extract, then the eggs.
5. Continue beating the mixture until pale and creamy.
6. Now add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend well.
7. Stir the flour into the mix with the cherry juice to make a smooth batter.
8. Now stir in the chopped cherries and the chocolate chips.
9. Pour the whole into a prepared loaf pan.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for about an hour or until the loaf passes the toothpick test.
11. Cool 30 minutes in the pan, then remove. Cool completely before slicing.

Good to Know

• This loaf taste best when sliced a day after baking.
• It will also freeze very well.
• If you do not have almond extract, use vanilla extract in its place.

Nut free recipe

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