Cherry Torte

Our memories are powerful forces, especially when it comes to those we have loved. My grandma Shirley passed away when I was in college, yet I still have crystal clear memories of baking with her. The first sweet she taught me how to make was this simple cherry torte.

 I learned how to make it and carefully copied down her instructions when I was just a little girl. As I read over my writing today, I laughed at how I pointed to Shirley McLean and noted "Grams", my name for her, giggled over my misspellings (suger, ingrediants, judgment), with my favorite grammatical error appearing at the bottom "poor cherries on top". 

Though this is one of the most simple and easy recipes, it brings back such fond memories for me, such that I've included it in our McLean family cookbook. I decided to make this dessert for us tonight, the night that we are decorating our Christmas tree, and love that continuing to make her recipes keeps her memory alive in me. 

Cherry Torte

Copied as written when I was young - for laughs!

pie cherries (1 can)

2 eggs

graham crackers - 14 squares

half a stick of butter

1 packet of whole cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

bowl and blender

 - Cut butterstick in half

 - Put butterstick in bowl and mic. for 30 sec.

 - Put 7 gramcrackers in blender and grind for two times

 - Dump in the melted butter (graham crackers) 

 - Take fork and stir crackers into butter

 - After stirring dump in square pan and pat down bring up a little on the sides

 - Preheat oven to 350

 - Break two eggs in blender and blend

 - Put 3 quarters cup of suger in blender, open little top and pour suger in slowly

 - Put all of the cream cheese in blender (cut in chunks)

 - Mix all together

 - Pour on top of crust

 - Put in oven and bake for 25 min. or by my judgment

 - Take out, let cool, poor cherries on top, put in fridge before eating.