Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Almond meal is nothing more than finely ground almonds and can be found in
many grocery stores. If you can't get it, you can grind the almonds yourself in a
food processor. Grind them to the texture of coarse cornmeal or couscous, but do
it in short pulses so you don't turn the nuts to butter.
4 SERVINGS
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the cherries in a small (4-cup), wellbuttered gratin dish.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and the orange zest and stir to combine. Roast the cher-
ries until they soften slightly and become fragrant, about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, grind together the almond meal, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, butter, egg yolks
and orange liqueur in a food processor.
Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, then add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat until
they hold stiff peaks.
Add one third of the egg whites to the food processor and pulse to incorporate into the
almond meal mixture. Spoon the mixture into one side of the bowl with the egg whites,
spread the egg whites over the top and fold them into the mixture until light and somewhat
flowing. There may be small patches of unincorporated egg whites; it's better to leave
them than risk overfolding the batter and deflating it.
Spoon the mixture over the roasted cherries and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Place the
gratin dish on a baking sheet to catch any spills and return to the oven. Bake until the top
is puffed and well browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
