Out with the glacé cherries, in with the Griottines. BB spotted this new ingredient while out and about at the recent Speciality & Fine Food Fair in London.
Griottines are a type of high-quality Morello cherry, the Oblachinska, found only in the Balkans, that have been steeped in kirsch to give them a distinctive and unique flavour.
To conserve the flavour and physical characteristics of the fruit, the first maceration of the cherries in liqueur is said to take place within six hours of picking. The Morello cherries are then steeped in different liqueurs for successive macerations.
The last maceration provides the final touch of kirsch, which is the hallmark of Griottines. Keylink a supplier of ingredients, equipment and packaging in the UK is the distributor.
Try this recipe idea for a succulent, moist cake. Ensure the cake is displayed in slices to reveal the Griottines within and position it as a high quality French cake. You can also use the cherries for gateaux and desserts.
Ingredients
(makes enough for six x 1.5kg cakes)
Flour1.9kg
Icing sugar1.5kg
Softened butter1.7kg
Eggs36
Baking powder6 sachets
Griottines and 36cl Griottine juice
Method
1. Cream the ingredients together to obtain a smooth mixture.
2. Grease and flour six 1.5kg loaf tins. Dry the Griottines on kitchen paper, coat in flour and fold in.
3. Bake for 5 minutes at 240°C, then reduce to 180°C and bake for about 35 minutes. Check the cake is cooked by using a skewer, which should come out clean.
4. Cool, then remove from tin. Pour the Griottines juice over the cakes.