STOVETOP GRANOLA
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
  1/3 cup packed brown sugar 

           1/2 cup chopped almonds           

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup pistacchios

1/3 cup of A Taste of Michigan's Dried Triple Cherry Blend

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on cookie sheet to cool. Melt butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly.  Return the oats to the pan.  Cook and stir another 5 minutes or so.  Pour out onto the cookie sheet; spread to cool. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds, cashews, pistacchios and dried fruit.

Cherry Cornbread
2 cups corn meal
1/2 cup pastry flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
5 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups A Taste of Michigan's Dried Triple Cherry Blend

Mix together the dry ingredients. Mix together the wet ingredients and gently mix into the dry ingredients. Fold in the cherries. Grease and line a 9”x9” square baking pan with parchment paper or muffin tins. Pour in the batter and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. More sugar can be added for a sweeter cornbread

Plump Cherry Pie
1 package of two refrigerated pie crusts for 9-inch pie
2 jars of A Taste of Michigan's Plump Whole Cherries pie filling
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Line a 9-inch pie pan with pie crust. Trim crust along pan edge. Pour Plump Whole Cherries pie filling evenly into crust. Sprinkle with almond extract, if desired. Place second crust over filling. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust. Press edges together with a fork. With a knife, cut slits in top crust. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil, if needed, to prevent overbrowning. If desired, 1 cup of dried cherries can be mixed with the cherry filling before baking for added cherry flavor. 

Cherry Buttermilk Scones
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup A Taste of Michigan's Dried Triple Cherry Blend, finely chopped
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 large eggs, divided (2 for scone batter; 1 for egg wash)
Additional flour for cutting scones, etc.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the dried cherries. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and two of the eggs. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be soft and sticky). Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare egg wash. Flour surface for forming scones. Turn out dough and knead two to three times. Dough will be very soft. Divide dough in half. Roll each piece of dough into a 5-inch circle about 3/4 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut each round into 8 pie-shaped wedges. Using a metal spatula, carefully transfer wedges onto a cookie sheet, arranging so that wedges are not touching. They should be at least 1 1/2 inches apart. In a small bowl, whisk remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush a very light coat of egg wash onto the top of each scone; sprinkle tops of scones with remaining tablespoon of sugar, and bake for about 13 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Serve warm.

Cherry Yogurt Smoothie
Here is a great way to enjoy healthful, 100% all-natural Michigan tart cherry juice.

1 cup non-fat plain or vanilla yogurt
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup A Taste of Michigan's 100% Montomorency Tart cherry concentrate
1 cup crushed ice

Put yogurt, banana, orange juice, cherry juice concentrate and crushed ice in the container of an electric blender or

 food processor. Puree until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 2 (8-ounce) servings.

This smoothie can be frozen in popsicle containers. Serve as a frozen treat, or allow to thaw and drink as a smoothie. 

                                Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal                                                         

1 cup Old Fashioned Oats, or Quick Cooking Oats
1/8 teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup A Taste of Michigan Cherries Dried Triple Cherries 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 tablespoons cherry jam 
1/4 cup Low-fat milk, plus more to taste 
 
Put 1 3/4 cups of water, the oats, salt and cherries into a medium sized
saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes for
Old Fashioned Oats, or 1 minute for Quick Cooking Oats. Remove from heat. Stir
in the vanilla extract and cherry jam. Put into serving bowls and pour 2
tablespoons of milk over each bowl.

Serves 2 (serving size about 1 1/4 cups)
Nutrition Info:Calories 230, Total Fat g 3, Sat Fat g 0, Protein g 8, Carbohydrates g 42, Fiber g 4, Sodium mg 160

Savory Cherry Barbecue Pulled Pork 

Salt and Pepper

2-3 lb. trimmed boneless Boston pork butt or blade roast

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

One jar of A Taste of Michigan Cherries Savory Cherry Barbecue Sauce

6 Sandwich Buns

Optional – Cole Slaw

Rub salt and pepper over a 2-3 lb. trimmed boneless Boston pork butt or blade roast.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy ovenproof cooking pot with a lid.

Brown the roast on all sides.

Cover pot and roast in a preheated 325 degree oven for 2 1/2-3 hours until the pork can be pulled apart with a fork.

Shred the pork, removing excess fat, and toss with 1 jar of

A Taste of Michigan Cherries Savory Cherry Barbecue Sauce.

Serve warm on a sandwich bun – as an option, top with coleslaw.

Finger licking good! YUM!!!

  Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups of dry pancake mix

1 cup of A Taste of Michigan's Old Fashioned Pumpkin Butter

Brighten up breakfasr with great pumpkin pancakes. Prepare the dry pancake mix according to package directions.

Add 1 cup of the Old Fashioned Pumpkin Butter to the batter.

Cook as directed.

Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

 Pumpkin Pie Cream Cheese

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 cup of A Taste of Michigan Cherries Old Fashioned Pumpkin Butter

1/4 cup of toasted pecans

With an electric mixer, beat until smooth the softened cream cheese.

Add the Old Fashioned Pumpkin Butter and continue to beat. On low speed, mix in the toasted pecans.

Chill for two hours. Garnish with more toasted pecans before serving.