Cherry Almond Squares - no artificial anything in this recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Why do maraschino cherries taste like almond extract? ›

Maraschino cherries (named after the Croatian Marasca variety), often called 'co*cktail cherries', are cherries which have been dyed red, impregnated with sugar, and packed in a sugar syrup that is flavoured with oil of bitter almonds, or a similar flavour.

Cherry and almond are fairly closely related, and both have a distinct flavor of benzaldehyde. Some almond extracts are even made from cherry pits. So that is likely the flavor association you're getting.

To make your own, you'll bring sugar, water, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract to a simmer. The teaspoon of almond extract gives the cherries their signature maraschino taste. Once the mixture has reached a simmer, you pour it over pitted cherries and leave it to cool.

Pure almond extract is made from almonds, or from the pits of stone fruits that have been cold pressed and combined with alcohol and water. Imitation almond extract, on the other hand, is made from synthetic materials made to taste like the flavor extracted from the almonds or stone fruits.

To make almond extract, you just need water, alcohol, and bitter almond oil. The most important component of that last ingredient is a chemical called benzaldehyde. It chiefly imparts a strong almond flavor and is found in all drupe seeds — hence the drupe dupe that almond extract is able to pull off.

Cherry liqueur or extract can be used to add cherry flavor to a dish, but they both have their own strengths and weaknesses. Cranberries add both color and flavor to recipes, while beetroot adds a bolder flavor. Finally, pomegranate juice is a healthy way to add cherry flavor and color to any recipe.

While you won't get the almond flavor, you really can't go wrong subbing vanilla for almond extract. Since I'm losing a bit of flavor that might make the dessert really pop, I try to use vanilla bean paste in its place if I have it. Those little flecks add something special to the look of the recipe.

Ingredients. Pure almond extract is made from three ingredients—almond oil, alcohol, and water. Any almond extract product with those ingredients is not safe for someone with a tree nut allergy.

Is there a difference between almond extract and almond flavoring? ›

Source: Almond extract is derived from real almonds, resulting in a genuine almond taste. Almond essence, on the other hand, is an artificial or synthetic flavouring that replicates the taste and aroma of almonds.

Benzaldehyde and similar chemicals occur naturally in many foods. Most of the benzaldehyde that people eat is from natural plant foods, such as almonds. Almonds, apricots, apples, and cherry seed contain significant amounts of amygdalin.

What probably has made cherry flavors so historically popular are their instantly identifiable character, which is due to the presence of one ingredient, Benzaldehyde. In fact, some would say that without a fair dose of it, a cherry flavor has little appeal.

Besides benzaldehyde, other popular compounds in cherry flavors are eugenol, which tastes like cloves, or linalool, which has a woodsy, floral profile. A flavor chemist can play around with these compound levels until they create the perfect cherry flavor. It's not natural; it's science.

After bleaching, they're soaked in another solution for about one month. This solution contains red food dye, sugar, and oil of bitter almonds or an oil with a similar flavor. The end result are bright red, very sweet cherries ( 4 ).

Distilled from the same bitter almond oil that is part of Amaretto's distinctive taste, the almond extract has a strong, pure, sweet flavor that goes very well with cherry, vanilla, chocolate, coffee flavors.

The modern maraschino cherry tastes more like candy than fruit. You find them on top of a sundae or included with your favorite co*cktail to give it an extra burst of sweetness. Classic maraschino cherries preserved in maraschino liqueur retain more of a true cherry flavor with a touch of almond flavoring.

Many do not include almonds in their formula at all and are flavored entirely with stone fruit pits. Cherries are a stone fruit. You may be picking up on the stone fruit quality some amarettos strongly carry.