Cherry Sauce
(about 2-1/2 cups)
1 lb sweet cherries, pitted
1/2 cup water
1/3 to 1/2 cup light corn syrup or sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
Lemon juice
Kirsch, cognac, sherry or cherry liqueur (optional)
Place cherries, 1/4 cup water and syrup in saucepan and bring to a boil.
Blend cornstarch with remaining water and add, stirring, to the cherries. Cook, stirring, until clear, or about 1 minute.
Add lemon juice and kirsch to taste. Serve warm or cold over puddings or ice cream.
NOTE: The sauce may be stored in the refrigerator.
Cherry Slush
2 cups cherry juice blend
OR
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries
1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate -- thawed, undiluted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 2-liter bottle lemon-lime carbonated beverage -- chilled
In a medium saucepan, combine cherry juice blend and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
In electric blender or food processor container, combine cherries, orange juice concentrate and lemon juice. Blend 1 minute, or until cherries are pureed. In a 6-cup freezer container, combine cherry mixture and sugar mixture; mix well. Cover tightly; freeze 5 hours or overnight.
Remove cherry mixture from freezer 30 minutes before serving. Put 1/4 cup slush in each glass; add 1/2 cup carbonated beverage to each glass. Serve immediately. Freeze remaining slush for later use.
Serving size: 3/4 cup
Make homemade vanilla ice cream and add cut cherries - mmmmmm!
CHERRY JELLY
3 1/2 c. cherry juice (about 3 lb. or 2 qt. boxes sour cherries and 1/2 c. water)
1 pkg. powdered pectin
4 1/2 c. sugar
To prepare juice. Select fully ripe cherries. Soft; wash and remove stems. Do not pit. Crush cherries, add water and cover. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Extract juice.
To make jelly: measure juice into a kettle. Add pectin and stir well. Place on high heat and stir constantly. Bring quickly to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Add sugar, continue stirring and heat again to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat; skim off foam from top quickly. Pour jelly immediately into hot containers and seal. Makes about 6 (8 ounce) glasses.
Cherry Pie
2 cups fresh Colorado cherries, pitted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter
Mix flour and sugar, then stir in with cherries. Pour into pastry shell, dot with butter, and cover with pastry top. Bake slowly for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven
Sugar-Free Cherry Pie
Pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
5 cups halved, pitted fresh sweet cherries
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon mace
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare the pie pastry. Line the pie pan with the bottom crust, using half of the dough. Keep the remaining dough chilled. Combine the cherries, allspice, mace, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pecans. Mix well. Turn the filling into the crust and dot with butter. Roll out the top crust and lay it on the filling. Trim off any excess dough, crimp the edges, and prick with the tines of a fork to vent. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake 45 minutes more or until golden brown.