Bing cherries are in season, and our local grocery store had some beauties! I used to LOVE bing cherries when I was a kid, and hadn’t had them in years. My hubby had never had them before, so it was way overdue to make something special using this exquisite variety of cherry!

Bing cherries have a flavor all their own, and are naturally sweet, so you never really have to add any sugar to them! To me, they taste almost like a cherry crossed with a plum! And they’re a deep, dark aubergine color, just like like plums, too!

You can enjoy these cherries straight from the bowl, but they’re also fun to bake and cook with.

Since I already had some puff pastry sheets in the freezer, and a lonely block of cream cheese in the fridge begging to be used, I decided to whip up a cherry-cheesecake kind of “strudel” for a nice summer brunch!

I had plenty to make two of them, so I gifted the first one to our next door neighbors for a surprise Saturday morning treat!

They were super simple to make, so let’s get started!

First I just mixed the cream cheese “cheesecake” filling the mixer adding a nice amount of fresh lemon juice and zest!

Since I don’t own a cherry pitter, I used an old hack that works like a charm! (This is a little messy, so protect your working surface with an old junk towel and have some paper towels handy!)

Simply place a tall, narrow decorating tip onto a cutting board. Remove stem from cherry, and place stem end onto tip. Press cherry, gently and slowly, down onto tip until you feel the pit. then press the rest of the way forcing the pit out. It’s that easy! (And it doesn’t wreck the cherry if needing them to be pretty for  a whole-cherry dessert or sauce).

Easy-peasy! 😀

Pit all of the cherries and set them aside in a bowl.

Next, roll out the puff pastry a little on a lightly floured surface. Just enough to smooth the creases of the folds a little bit is all.

Place the pastry sheets onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and top with the cheesecake filling and pitted cherries.

Next, slice inward on both sides making strips. I used my pastry wheel for this to make them extra pretty! 😉

Alternate back and forth bringing each strip up and over filling, and crossing over each other to make a simple “braid”.

Brush each with egg wash and sprinkle tops with sugar.

Pop into the oven and bake until you can’t take it anymore! Just kidding, you have to wait until they turn golden brown and are slightly puffed, silly!

But the aromas wafting through the house will have you impatient, that’s for sure!

Just look at how beautiful it gets….and that lemon cheesecake filling with the sweet cherries? OMG…..!!

This breakfast, (or even dessert! 😉 ), treat is almost too pretty to eat!! It makes for such an elegant presentation, yet it couldn’t be easier!

Let this cool so that you can slice this easily without squishing out the filling!

You can slice this into small triangles, or slice into slim strips. We have always found this best eaten chilled, but you can enjoy a few pieces while they are still only just slightly warm or room temperature, too.

But no matter how you enjoy it, you’ll be very surprised at the pop of flavors inside!

The burst of lemon cheesecake could be very much enjoyed all on it’s own. But…..

…..ohhhhhh, those heavenly Bing Cherries! They even taste like summer!! 😀

So the next time you’re looking for an easy dessert to serve overnight company, spoil yourselves with, or even make a special treat for an upcoming bake sale, look no further! This simple, but delicious treat fits the bill without breaking the bank, and looks very impressive! 😀

I hope that you give this a try soon while those gorgeous, dark crimson, Bing Cherries are still in season! Enjoy them while they’re here! 😀

Yield: 8-12 servings

Bing Cherry Cheesecake Strudel (Plus easy no pitter hack!)

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Ingredients

For Cheese Filling:

• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temp
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tbl. flour
• 1 extra-large egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel, about most of a small lemon
• 1 Tbl. fresh-squeezed lemon juice, about half of a small lemon

Rest of Ingredients:

• 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed but cold, each rolled out to 10"x11" rectangle
• 2 Tbl. flour for dusting surface
• 1 lb. fresh bing cherries, stems and pits removed, halved
• 1 extra large egg beaten with 1 Tbl. cold water (egg wash)
• 1 tsp. sugar

Instructions

For Cheese Filling:

In mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in rest of filling ingredients, and beat just until mixed. (Scraping bowl as needed to incorporate all ingredients well.) Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400º.

Lightly flour surface, roll out puff pastry just enough to smooth out the cracks in the folds a little. (To about a 10x11" rectangle.)

Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon half of the filling down center third to within 1" of top and bottom edges.

Top with half of the de-stemmed and pitted bing cherries.

Slice inward outside thirds into strips using a sharp knife or pastry wheel almost to filling. (As wide or narrow as you like. I made mine about a 1/2" wide or so.)

Pull strips up and over, alternating sides, crossing over each other, braiding.

Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar.

Repeat with second pastry sheet.

Pop into preheated 400º oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden browned and puffed.

Let cool and slice. Serve slightly warm or chilled.

Notes

*Canned pitted dark sweet black cherries (well drained) can be substituted.