Cherry "Sundaes" with Greek Yogurt, Pistachios and Cardamom Cream

A Bitten Word Recipe

A friend of ours just moved to D.C. for a temporary post, so we invited him over for a home-cooked meal to welcome him to Our Nation's Capital. 

We kept things super super simple -- steak on the grill, sauteed fresh green beans and a quick quinoa salad similar to the one we made a couple weeks ago.

We wanted to end dinner with a little something sweet -- but still on the healthy side. So we took a cue from our Cupboard Cleanout and decided to make something out of ingredients we already had on hand.

What we came up with were these Cherry "Sundaes" with Greek Yogurt, Pistachios and Cardamom Cream.

We've been buying a lot of cherries in the last few weeks. They're at our farmers market, but also at our neighborhood supermarket, so we've had them around the house. For the most part, we've been just eating them on their own as a late-night snack, and we've been loving it. 

This dish is simple -- toss the cherries with some sugar and let them sit for 30 minutes or more. This not only adds a little sweetness, but the process also breaks down the cherries a bit and brings out their juices. We threw in a tiny bit of orange blossom water that we happened to have leftover from a dessert we made last year. Orange blossom water is very potent -- a little goes a long way -- but it adds a lovely note that's subtly citrus and floral.

If you want to make your sundaes really fancy, go with the cardamom cream. It gives an exotic twist to the cherries. Or keep things easy and ditch the cardamom cream and just top with a dollop of more yogurt. In the end, it's just a matter of layering ingredients that you like in a glass.  

We like this take on sundaes because it's a great way to get a creamy, indulgent treat without all the true indulgence of ice cream.

Don't get us wrong, we love us some ice cream! But when the times demand a lighter dessert, this is a simple, healthy summer treat that's endlessly variable. (Think blueberries or blackberries or raspberries instead of cherries; and you could drizzle honey or chocolate on the top if you want.)

These sundaes are a yummy dessert. And, we hope, a nice way to welcome a friend to your town.

 

 

Cherry "Sundaes" with Greek Yogurt, Pistachios and Cardamom Cream 
A Bitten Word Recipe

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups low-fat Greek yogurt (plus more if you don't want to bother with the Cardamom Cream)
1/4 cup crushed pistachios

FOR THE CARDAMOM CREAM (OPTIONAL):
2/3 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

 

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CARDAMOM CREAM (OPTIONAL): Combine whipping cream, sugar and cardamom in a medium bowl. Using a mixer or by hand, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

FOR THE SUNDAES:

Toss cherries and sugar (and orange blossom water, if using) together in a medium bowl. Set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

To assemble sundaes, divide the 2 cups Greek yogurt into 4 small bowls or glasses. Top each with 1/2 cup sweetened cherries. Top cherries with a dollop of Cardamom Cream, if using, or more Greek yogurt. Sprinkle each sundae with crushed pisatchios.