Published originally on my blog on 31 July 2011
I never know what to do with cherries. That's the simple truth.
I don't particularly like them in savory dishes, except if it's something like this salad, and I hate them in pies.
Fruit pies are not my thing. Perhaps because it's not a Greek thing and I'm just not used to them but, then again profiteroles are not a Greek thing either and I never complain when I get served up those.
I have always eaten cherries on their own. The ritual being invariably the same; grab one by the stalk, put it in my mouth, pull it gently with my teeth to detach it from the stem, break the small spherical fruit open with a decisive bite, take out the pit and savor its sweet, juicy flesh.
Yet, I've always felt like I've been missing out on something. I have never used them in, well, anything.
Not until last year that is, when I decided to make cherry ice cream. And, it was awful. I don't know if it was the recipe, the cherries or me, but I hated it and so did S.
I wasn't disheartened though and when cherry season finally arrived this year, I couldn't wait to try something different again. I found Greek dark cherries at the market which was a complete surprise and impatient as I always am, I ended up taking more than a kilo home.
I remembered I had bookmarked a cherry sorbet recipe a while back and thought that would be the perfect one to usher in the cherry season with. Let me tell you, it was the Best Cherry Sorbet Ever and when I turned it into a popsicle, it was even more exciting.
The sorbet is not very sweet, has a slight hint of vanilla, is brimming with fresh cherry flavor and is extremely light. I was lucky to have bought the freshest vanilla bean I have ever used and it gave such a beautiful, aromatic dimension to the sorbet that it was unbelievable.
No spoons, no bowls, no trying to find where I put my ice cream scoop only to realize that I had broken it about a month ago while scooping what was supposed to be a milk chocolate ice cream but turned out to be a cement-like concoction.
No, this is pure lickable cherry pleasure.
I must have made this sorbet four times during this brief cherry season, the last one being just a few days ago and we cannot get enough of it.
So, hurry up! Grab the last fresh cherries of the year and make these popsicles.
Satisfaction is guaranteed.
* While I was writing this post I was listening to this song. The title is inspired by it.
Dark Cherry Sorbet Popsicles
There are three easy steps in preparing this sorbet. The first step is to prepare a vanilla-scented syrup, the second to make a cherry purée and the third to mix the two together. Then you just need to pour the mixture into the shot glasses, put them in the freezer and after a few hours, you have a delicious cherry sorbet.