- 6 cup fresh Bing, cherries, pitted and havled
- 6 tbsp white sugar
- 2 lemons, zested
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup frozen butter
- 1/2 cup half-half, or more as needed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 large egg white (optional)
- 1 tsp white sugar, or to taste
- 1 cup whipped cream
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 8-10 cherries with stems
- 1 pint good vanilla ice cream (optional)
Combine 6 cups cherries, 6 tablespoons sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Let rest for 2 to 3 hours.Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter with a knife or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk half-and-half and egg together in a small bowl; stir into flour mixture with a fork until a moist dough with large clumps forms. Add 1 teaspoon more half-and-half at a time to the bowl if dough is dry.Divide dough into 8-10 balls (depending on what size you like); place on prepared baking sheet. Press each ball down lightly to form 1/2-inch discs. Brush discs with egg white and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon sugar.Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.Halve each cake horizontally. Layer a generous portion of sweetened cherries, almonds, and whipped cream or ice cream between cake halves. Top with another dollop of whipped cream, almonds, and a whole cherry.HAPPY EATING!!
