It may seem hard to believe, but the importation of amaretto liqueur to North America did not occur until the 1960’s. The almond flavored cordial quickly became a hit in cocktails and food preparation. By the 1980’s, it was second in sales only to Kahlua.
While its known that the drink was made in Italy, pinning down its exact origin story can be tricky. Two different families claim responsibility for the cordial with both having equally interesting stories to back up their claim.
Although, amaretto liqueur has an almond flavor, surprisingly, it may not contain almonds. The standard base of the liqueur is primarily made from either apricot pits or almonds or both. The drink like many other alcohols may contain any number of added spices and flavorings.
While amaretto cookies are probably the best known recipe made with this liqueur, its actually got many uses in the kitchen. You can add it to pancake batter for a richer flavor or to ice cream and is a common ingredient found in tiramisu cakes. You can even use it to add a touch of an almond kick to savory meats like poultry and fish.
These Amaretto Cherries w/ Dumplings are such a nice ‘homey’ dessert for this time of year.
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- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup reserved cherry juice
- 600 gm cherries, pitted
- 2 Tbsp amaretto
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 Tbsp butter, melted
- Vanilla ice cream, optional
Ingredients
Amaretto Cherries
Dumplings
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- In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch & salt. Stir in the reserved cherry juice; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking until thickened. Remove from heat & fold in the cherries. Pour cherry mixture into a 8 X 8-inch baking dish. Drizzle amaretto over cherry mixture. Cover & keep hot until dumplings are mixed.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a small bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest & salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together milk & melted butter. Add to flour mixture; stir until moistened.
- Drop by tablespoons on top of hot cherry mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean.
- If desired, serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.