Cherry Poppins Recipes

CHERRY POPPINS

Steps:

• Combine the cherries, 1/4 cup water and the sugar in a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, mashing occasionally, to make a chunky syrup, about 8 minutes. Let cool, then stir in the lemon juice. Meanwhile, whisk the sour cream, condensed milk, almond extract and salt in a bowl.
• Fill 6 pop molds about one-quarter of the way with some of the cherry mixture. (Wipe any drips off the insides of the molds with a paper towel for even layers.) Freeze until just set, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the sour cream mixture, filling the molds about halfway; freeze again. Add the remaining cherry mixture and freeze, then top with the remaining sour cream mixture; insert wooden sticks into the pops and freeze until completely solid, about 2 more hours.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then chop.
• To release the pops, briefly run the molds under hot water. Press the almonds around the bottoms.

CHEERY CHERRY POPS

Steps:

• Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and egg whites. Stir in cherries and juice. Bake as directed for 13x9-inch pan. Cool. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. Crumble cake into large bowl. Add frosting; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on cookie sheet. Freeze until firm; keep refrigerated.
• In microwavable bowl, microwave candy melts and shortening uncovered on Medium (50%) 2 minutes, then in 15-second intervals until melted; stir until smooth. Dip tip of 1 lollipop stick about 1/2 inch into melted candy and insert stick into 1 cake ball no more than halfway. Repeat. Return to cookie sheet. Refrigerate 5 minutes.
• Remove from refrigerator a few at a time. Dip cake balls into melted candy to cover; tap off excess. Gently poke licorice piece into top of cake ball for stem. Poke opposite end of stick into foam block. Let stand until set. Pipe leaves with green icing.

CHERRY CRUMBLE BARS FOR TWO

Steps:

• Put a small baking sheet on a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Cut 1 piece of parchment to fit the bottom of a mini loaf pan so that it climbs halfway up the long ends; butter the paper lightly on the bottom and more heavily on the sides (including the exposed pan). Combine the preserves and the cherries in a small bowl.
• Toss the flour, oats, brown sugar, confectioners' sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter, and mix with a fork until the flour mixture is moistened and starting to clump. Press a loosely packed 1/2 cup of the flour mixture into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Spread the cherry mixture on top. Add the almonds to the remaining flour mixture, and squeeze it to make some larger chunks; sprinkle the almond-flour mixture over the cherry mixture, and press it in lightly.
• Bake the bar on the hot baking sheet until the cherry mixture bubbles and the streusel on top is nicely browned, 24 to 26 minutes. Let the bar cool on a cooling rack until lukewarm, then use the parchment to lift the bar out of the pan. Carefully peel off the parchment, and let the bar cool completely on the rack. Cut the bar in half on a long diagonal, and serve.