Cherry and Amaretti Cups with Kirsch Cream
This cherry amaretti trifle layers macerated cherries, crunchy amaretti and kirsch cream in a glass. There is no oven and nothing to set, so it comes together in about 40 minutes plus a short chill, and the quality of the fruit does most of the work.
It is built for the few weeks when cherries are at their best. Macerating them with a little sugar and lemon draws out a glossy syrup without cooking them down, so they keep their shape and their bite. The amaretti soften where they meet the fruit and stay crisp where they meet the cream, and the kirsch picks up the almond note in the biscuits and the stone in the cherries. Assembly is the whole method: good fruit, softly whipped cream and a bit of care with the layers.
Cherry and Amaretti Cups with Kirsch Cream
A no-bake cherry amaretti trifle: macerated cherries, crumbled amaretti and kirsch cream layered in a glass, finished with toasted almonds and shaved dark chocolate. Ready in less than 40 minutes, no oven.
Ingredients
- 400g of cherries (around 350g once pitted), halved
- 50g of caster sugar
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 600ml of double cream
- 50g of icing sugar
- 40ml of kirsch
- 200g of hard, crunchy amaretti, crumbled, with about 50g held back
- 40g of flaked almonds, toasted
- 20g of dark chocolate, shaved
- A handful of cherries, halved, for the top
Instructions
- Halve and pit the cherries. Toss with the caster sugar and lemon juice and leave to macerate for 20 to 30 minutes, until they release a good amount of juice.
- Toast the flaked almonds in a dry pan over medium heat until just golden, then tip them straight onto a plate so they stop cooking in the residual heat.
- Whip the double cream briefly, sift in the icing sugar and carry on whipping to soft peaks. Add the kirsch and fold it through gently by hand.
- Build the cups. Into each: a couple of tablespoons of cherries with a little of their liquid, then a layer of crumbled amaretti, then a thick layer of kirsch cream. Bring the layers up almost to the top, each one clearly defined through the side of the glass.
- Top with more cherries and a little of their syrup, the reserved amaretti, the toasted flaked almonds and a scatter of shaved dark chocolate.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
958Protein
13 gSugar
70 gCarbs
96 gFat
64 gApproximate values per serving
Ingredient Notes
Cherries
Use ripe, dark summer cherries with firm, glossy skins and green stems. UK cherries are at their best from late June through August, and that is when this dessert is worth making. Allow roughly 400g whole to leave you about 350g once pitted. Sweeter fruit needs a touch less sugar in the maceration; sharper fruit can take the full amount.
Amaretti
You want the hard, crunchy kind (amaretti secchi), not the soft chewy ones, which collapse into paste. The crisp biscuits hold their shape in the fruit layer and stay crunchy on top. Many amaretti are made with almonds, sugar and egg white and are naturally gluten free, but this varies by brand, so check the pack if that matters to you.
Kirsch
A clear cherry brandy that echoes both the fruit and the almond in the biscuits. It goes in raw and is not cooked off, so leave it out for anyone avoiding alcohol (see Variations). Amaretto works instead if you want to push the almond further.
Double cream
UK double cream at around 48% fat whips dense and stable and holds soft peaks well, which single or whipping cream will not do here. It is the dominant layer, so it is worth buying good cream.
Flaked almonds
Toasted, for the top. They add the crunch and a second almond note against the amaretti.
Dark chocolate
Shaved thinly over the top. A small amount of something bitter lifts the whole thing and stops it reading as one-note sweet.
Kitchen Notes
Macerating the cherries
The sugar sits at about 14% of the pitted fruit weight, toward the upper end of the usual 8 to 15% window. That is deliberate, for sweeter fruit and a little more syrup to spoon over at the end. Push much past 17% and the extra sugar pulls water out osmotically, so the cherries weep and slacken rather than just softening. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough; they should only soften slightly and keep their shape.
Toasting the almonds
Low heat, dry pan, and watch them the whole time. They go from golden to acrid in seconds. Tip them straight onto a cold plate so they stop cooking in the pan's residual heat.
Whipping the cream
Double cream roughly doubles in volume, so 600ml of liquid gives you around 1.1 litres whipped. That is deliberately generous: enough to heap four cups or fill six more neatly. Layer to suit your own glasses and do not worry if you have a little cream left over, which is better than running short in the last glass. Whip to soft peaks only. Taken further it turns grainy and then to butter, and there is no coming back from that.
Adding the kirsch
Keep it under about 10% of the cream volume; 40ml in 600ml is well inside that. Alcohol interferes with the fat network that holds whipped cream, so too much and it stays slack and weeps. Whip the cream to soft peaks first, then fold the kirsch through gently by hand rather than whipping it in.
Layering and crunch
The amaretti under the cream will soften into the fruit, which is what you want. The 50g held back goes on at the very last moment to keep its crunch. If you assemble too early the top loses its bite.
Make-ahead
The macerated cherries and their syrup keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Whip the cream on the day. Assemble no more than an hour or two ahead and add the top garnish just before serving.
Variations
Non-alcoholic
Leave out the kirsch and fold a tablespoon of the reserved cherry syrup through the cream with a single drop of almond extract. You still keep the cherry-and-almond thread.
Amaretto instead of kirsch
Pushes the almond note harder and is sweeter than kirsch, so cut the icing sugar to about 40g to keep the balance.
Crème fraîche cream
Fold a couple of spoonfuls of crème fraîche into the whipped cream before layering. It adds a gentle tang that cuts the sweetness of the amaretti without losing the pillowy texture.
Other stone fruit
Ripe apricots or plums, or a mix, work in place of cherries. Juicier fruit releases more liquid, so drain a little before layering and drop the sugar slightly.
Gluten free
If your amaretti are almond-based rather than wheat-based, the whole dessert is naturally gluten free. Check the pack to be sure.
Serving Suggestions
How to serve
Serve chilled, straight from the fridge, with the toasted almonds and chocolate added at the last moment so they stay crisp. Give people a long spoon so they can reach through every layer in one go.
When to serve
This is a cherry-season dessert, best from late June into August. It looks far more involved than it is, and most of it can be prepped ahead, which makes it a good dinner-party finish.
Portion sizes
This makes four generously heaped cups or six neater ones, depending on the size of your glasses. I used 380ml sundae dishes; yours may be larger or smaller, so layer to fit and stop when they look full. The cream quantity is generous on purpose, so you may not use all of it, which is better than coming up short in the last glass.
Drinks
A chilled glass of Moscato d'Asti is lovely here: lightly sweet and gently fizzy, it lifts the cream rather than competing with it. A small espresso alongside works the other way, cutting the sweetness.
Zero Waste
The cherry stones
Drop the clean, whole stones into a jar with a little of the leftover kirsch or a spoon of sugar and leave them to infuse a soft almond note you can use later in a syrup or cream. Do not crack or eat the kernels inside; they contain compounds that release cyanide, so infuse the whole stones only and discard them after.
Leftover maceration syrup
Stir it into fizzy water or a glass of prosecco, spoon it over yoghurt or porridge, or brush it onto a plain sponge.
Cream taken too far
If you over-whip and the cream starts to split, keep going until it separates fully, then drain and lightly rinse the solids to make a small amount of butter rather than tipping it away.
FAQ
Can I make cherry amaretti trifle ahead of time?
Partly. The cherries and syrup keep for up to 2 days and the cream is best whipped on the day. Assemble no more than an hour or two ahead and add the top garnish just before serving, or the amaretti softens.
Do I have to use kirsch?
No. Leave it out and fold a little cherry syrup and a drop of almond extract through the cream, or use amaretto instead. The kirsch is not cooked, so leave it out entirely for anyone avoiding alcohol.
Is it gluten free?
It depends on the amaretti. Many are almond-based and naturally gluten free, but some contain wheat, so check the packet.
What can I use instead of amaretti?
Any crisp almond biscuit: ratafia or crushed almond biscotti both work. Avoid soft, chewy amaretti, which will not hold their texture in the fruit.
Can I use frozen or jarred cherries?
Fresh in season is best. Frozen cherries work but release much more liquid, so drain them and cut the sugar. Jarred or tinned cherries are already soft and sweet, so skip the long maceration and reduce the added sugar.
How many cups does it make?
Four generously heaped, or six neater ones, depending on your glasses. The recipe is easy to layer to whatever size you have.
