Four Ways to Use Leftover Amarena Cherry Syrup
Fishing the last stem out of a jar of Amarena cherries is extremely frustrating – even more frustrating if the cherry isn’t attached. These bitter cherries are full of flavor and boast such a romantic dark red color that you’ll be amazed the moment you open the lid. This is an upgraded version of the maraschino cherry that can really add sparkle to an ice cream or smoothie. But when that last cherry is used up, stop dejectedly pouring out the remaining five ounces of syrup. It’s the magic of sweet cherries and the secret ingredient you need to cherry-pick everything from smoothies to waffles. (Besides, the jar is really cute.)
If you haven’t tried Amarena cherries yet , take care of yourself and buy a jar of them immediately. You can get them all year round at Italian specialty stores and online stores, but during the winter holidays they show up in many grocery stores (I usually buy a can or three at Trader Joe’s). I use cherries in a range of baked goods from November to January but have never been able to bring myself to pour the liquid down the drain. Over the years, I’ve found a few delicious uses for leftover syrup because I hate wasting flavorful ingredients and because I’m stubborn as hell. Thank god because your whole cherry game is about to go up.
Aisings and glazes
Make a killer cherry icing that goes great with bread pies, cinnamon rolls, or some homemade donuts. Most glazes are made from a mixture of powdered sugar, a liquid (usually water or milk), and sometimes butter. To make cherry icing, find a simple icing recipe like this one from The Spruce Eats and replace the liquid with Amarena cherry syrup. Mix as directed in the recipe. For an even more ridiculously simple Cherry Glaze recipe, whisk together two cups of powdered sugar with a quarter cup of Amarena syrup and pour over.
Pancakes and waffles
Get ready to kick your ass when you realize you haven’t done this with every can of cherries since Premiere. Amerena Cherry Syrup is already syrup, and you know who loves to be covered in syrup? Pancakes and waffles (no judgment on other non-edible syrups). You can instantly add a burst of tart cherry flavor along with a maple syrup-like coating by drizzling a few tablespoons of cherry syrup over the pancakes.
You can also add syrup directly to your pancake or waffle batter. This approach will give a wonderful breakfast with a pink tint. To make it, replace the sugar in the recipe with an equal amount of Amarena Cherry Syrup when kneading the dough. Even though it is a liquid substitute for the dry ingredient, most recipes call for a relatively small amount of sweetener and it won’t affect the consistency. Keep in mind that the cherry flavor will be very light (this method is mostly for cute pink), so I recommend drizzling some cherry syrup over these hot cakes as well.
Increase the filling of fresh fruit cherries
I race for my plate of pie when it’s cherry season. Perfectly ripe fruits provide unrivaled flavor, but for some reason I always end up with at least one packet of not-so-flavorful cherries. If you find yourself in a similar situation or it’s winter and all you can buy is frozen cherries, leftover Amarena syrup can add some “ripeness” to your fruit. After you make the cherry filling, add one tablespoon of cherry syrup to each cup of filling. Stir it into the mixture to coat the cherries just before pouring it into the pot. Bake as usual.
cocktails
You can start calling yourself a mixologist once you’ve done this a few times, and I won’t stop you. Amarena Cherry Syrup is a great alternative to plain syrup in many cocktails. It’s (obviously) sweet, but unlike plain syrup, it has a tart, slightly bitter cherry flavor that lends zest to moody spirits like whiskey or dark rum, but it’s bright enough to spice up citrus cocktails. For a subtle cherry note, add half an ounce of Amarena Cherry Syrup to cocktails such as Old Fashioned, Sidecar, Negroni or Manhattan. To make cherries more stellar, add a full ounce to cocktails like a Cosmopolitan, Margarita, or Aperol Spritz. As a general rule, any place you use sweet vermouth or maraschino is a safe place for Amarena syrup to join the party.
This cocktail recipe is on the fruity and citrus end of the spectrum. It’s great for a laid-back day where you can entertain friends with fruit and spreadable cheeses. This certainly adds a bit of cheer to a summer day, but could be tweaked depending on whether you need to take stairs in the near future or not. You can also mix the first two ingredients and refrigerate ahead of time. When you’re ready, pour three ounces over ice before filling it with sparkling.
Drunk Cherry Lemonade
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces limoncello
- 1 tablespoon Amarena cherry syrup
- 4 ounces Prosecco (for a lower alcohol version, fill a glass with soda instead)
- Lemon roll decoration
Fill a rocks glass or highball glass with ice cubes. Add ice, limoncello and cherry syrup to a shaker. * Shake for a few seconds. Strain contents over ice. Top with prosecco or soda.
*If you don’t have a shaker, you can pour these two ingredients into an empty glass and shake vigorously before adding ice.