In the height of cherry season, there should be no other dessert more prominent on your table than something featuring these sweet, juicy jewels. This is easier than cherry pie, more crisp than a cobbler, and more saucy and filled than a shortcake. It’s the best of all those worlds.
This recipe takes its lead from these flaky buttermilk biscuits, from Bon Appetit. Made a little more sweet from both sugar and the substitution of heavy cream for the buttermilk, these lemon-scented, little baby biscuits are super-flaky, tender and stay crisp while soaking up some of the cherry juice from the filling. I mean, could they get any cuter on top of this cobbler? Plus you can pull them off individually with your hands to make this a real sensory experience. Make sure to tuck them in snugly so they have nowhere to rise (or spread) but upwards.
The filling is absolutely full of cherries and flavors that complement cherry. A little pinch of cinnamon, almond and vanilla extracts, and a little booze by way of Kirsch (cherry-flavored liqueur) and Amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur) really amp up the cherry flavor. You don’t have to use the alcohol, but I’m always looking for ways to add more flavor (and liquor) to my food, so I consider it non-optional. Lemon juice cuts through the sweetness.
The filling will bubble up and reduce significantly while baking, making a concentrated syrup to surround the soft, warm cherries. No need to fret if you have massive spillover, but do prepare yourself for a little clean-up job. I baked these in six individual gratin dishes, but you can absolutely bake them in one casserole dish (à la Bon Appetit); just check them after about 45 minutes to see how golden-brown the biscuits are.
I do absolutely insist that you serve this with ice cream, or something creamy (e.g. whipped cream) if you don’t want ice cream. Or accidentally find yourself out of it. (GASP!) I hope that never happens to you. I made a homemade almond ice cream, but it’s not quite ready for its grand debut so just buy (or make) some really high-quality vanilla/almond ice cream and plop it right on top. All the better when it starts melting and mixing with the cherry filling. 
[tasty-recipe id=”37308″]
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