When it comes to your festive and holiday entertaining, don’t hesitate to be generous with cherries.
Make a Cherry Christmas wreath bread the tear-and-share centrepiece for your festive table. The brioche-style dough is filled with a homemade cherry marmalade and encircles a baked camembert, drizzled with a gold-dusted cherry glaze. There’s also a platter with cherry and bacon-wrapped skewers served with a Gorgonzola dipping sauce, Crostini topped with baked Cherries and ricotta with honey and thyme as well as sensational upside-down cherry, blue cheese and balsamic puff pastry squares.
And, if your festive entertaining is not complete without a signature cocktail to celebrate coming together this summer, here’s a new idea. This Cherry Bomb cocktail recipe combines fresh cherries and Darling Brew’s playful Cherry Bomb. This new sparkling hopped cooler offers both bold cherry flavour and subtle hoppy notes that balance sweetness. It’s a refreshing, non-alcoholic and versatile ingredient that shines in this Summer of ’25 cocktail or mocktail.
This summer, make the most of the bright red jewels that make every occasion more special and memorable.
Cherry Christmas Wreath Bread
A show-stopping centrepiece. Buttery bread, jewelled cherries and molten Camembert magic. Serves 6
Ingredients:
Dough
- ½ cup milk
- 1 Tbsp dry active yeast
- 3 eggs
- 300g bread flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 80g butter, softened
Cherry jam
- 200g cherries, pitted
- 100g sugar
- 60ml water
- 2 Tbsp lemon
- 1 clove
- 1 star anise
- 1 x 150-200g camembert round
- 50g cherries, pitted
- 30ml honey
- Garnish, gold dust
Method
- Heat the milk to 47–50°C (about 20 seconds in the microwave on high will achieve a lukewarm temperature)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast
- Whisk the eggs into the milk mixture
- In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour and salt
- Slowly, add the milk mixture and knead for about 10 minutes
- Gradually add the butter and continue kneading for another 5–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth but slightly sticky and soft
- Cover and let rest for 90 minutes, or until almost doubled in size
- In a medium saucepan, combine all the jam ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer
- Cook for 15–20 minutes, until reduced by about half
- For a more jam-like consistency, blend with a stick blender or mash lightly with a potato masher—you want some texture, not a purée
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before using
- Divide the rested dough into two equal portions
- Roll each portion into a rectangle about 8 × 40 cm
- Spread the cooled jam over each rectangle, then roll into a log, pinching the seams to seal
- Twist the two logs together to form a braided wreath
- Place in a 26 cm round oven dish with a lip, or in a cast-iron pan
- Wrap the Camembert in two layers of baking paper and tie with string to create a small parcel
- Place it in the centre of the wreath
- Let the dough rise at room temperature for about 1 hour
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (fan)
- Top the cheese with fresh cherries and honey
- Bake for 25 minutes, until golden
- Garnish with gold dust and serve warm
Festive Cherry Platter
Juicy fresh and baked cherries, a variety of tangy cheeses, golden pastry, bite-sized crostinis. A burst of flavour in every bite. Perfect for the holiday table.
Ricotta with Honey & Thyme on Crostini, Topped with Baked Cherries
Makes about 14 crostini.
Ingredients:
- 1 baguette, sliced into 14 rounds
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 200g ricotta
- 2 Tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (plus extra for garnish)
- 200g cherries, pitted
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)
- Line a baking tray with baking paper
- Toss the cherries with balsamic vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt
- Place in an oven proof dish and bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until softened and lightly caramelised
- Brush the baguette slices lightly with olive oil
- Arrange on a tray and bake for 6–8 minutes, turning once, until crisp and golden
- Allow to cool slightly
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, honey, and thyme until smooth
- Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star or round nozzle
- Pipe a swirl of ricotta mixture onto each crostini
- Top with a tablespoon of baked cherry and drizzle lightly with the cherry cooking juices
- Garnish with a few fresh thyme leaves and serve as elegant bite-sized canapés
Upside down cherry, blue cheese and balsamic puff pastry squares.
Makes about 18 squares.
Ingredients:
- 400g puff pastry roll, defrosted
- 180g cherries, pitted and sliced
- 150g blue cheese, crumbed
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 Tbsp balsamic reduction
- 1 egg, whisked
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan)
- Line a baking tray with baking paper
- Roll out puff pastry, cut pastry into 5 x 7 cm rectangles, you should have approximately 18
- With a sharp knife, create a 0,5cm border around the pastry square, careful not to cut all the way through
- On the prepared line tray, place a couple of sliced cherries in the shape of a 5 x 7cm square, followed by a teaspoon of cheese, a couple of thyme leaves and a drop or two of balsamic reduction
- Carefully place a pastry square over the filling, neatly pressing the edges to enclose. Repeat with the remaining ingredients
- Brush the tops with the whisked egg and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden
- Serve immediately
Cherry and bacon wrapped skewers served with a Gorgonzola dipping sauce
Makes about 7 skewers.
Ingredients:
- 180g (21) cherries, pitted
- 110g (7 slices) streaky bacon
- ¼ Cup Maple syrop
- ½ Cup sour cream
- 100g Gorgonzola
Method:
- Thread a slice of bacon onto a skewer, then add a cherry
- Fold the same slice of bacon back over the cherry, add another cherry, and repeat until the bacon finishes on top of the last cherry, you should use 3 cherries per skewer
- Continue with the remaining ingredients to make about 7 skewers
- Brush the skewers with maple syrup
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C and cook the skewers for about 5 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and cooked through
- For the dipping sauce: In a small saucepan, gently heat the sour cream, then crumble in the Gorgonzola
- Stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cherry Bomb cocktail
A beautifully balanced cocktail where fresh cherries, gin, and honey sparkle in perfect harmony.
Ingredients (per cocktail):
- 50 ml Gin (Tanqueray No. Ten or a floral gin works beautifully — complements cherry without overpowering)
- 20 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml Honey syrup (1:1 honey and warm water — adds smoothness and body)
- 5–10 ml Maraschino liqueur (optional, for a whisper of almond and depth)
- 5 Fresh cherries (pitted)
- 60–80 ml Cherry Bomb (to top)
- Ice
Method:
- Muddle the fresh cherries in a shaker to release color and juice.
- Add gin, lemon juice, honey syrup, and Maraschino liqueur (if using).
- Shake with ice, then fine strain into a chilled highball or coupe glass.
- Top gently with cherry soda and give a light stir.
- Garnish: skewered cherry and a small sprig of thyme or basil for aroma.
Recipes created by recipe developer Emma Nkunzana and Chef Jenny Morris. For more, visit www.juicydelicious.co.za or follow @juicydelicioussa on Instagram.
