Balsamic Roasted Cherry Pops
Adapted from Rachael Bryant, Meatified
My ultimate sweet treat is vanilla ice cream with strawberries and balsamic, so when I stumbled across this recipe, I knew it would be magic with Monticello’s balsamic condiment. You can make this recipe vegan by swapping agave for honey.
Balsamic Roasted Cherry Pops
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds dark sweet cherries, pitted and divided
- 3 tablespoons high-quality balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk, full-fat
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 1 pound of cherries in a baking dish and drizzle them with the balsamic vinegar and honey, then sprinkle sea salt over the top. Roast for 35 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time, until cherries have released their juices and just begun to wrinkle a little.
- Allow cherries to cool slightly, then transfer to a blender, making sure to scrape up all the pan juice too. Add the coconut milk and cornstarch and blend together. Taste and add additional honey or salt, if needed.
- Cut remaining 1/4 pound of cherries in half; add to the Popsicle molds, and fill with cherry mixture. Use a skewer or chopstick to break up any air bubbles in the mixture, leaving a gap at the top of each mold for adding shredded coconut. Pop the molds into the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and sprinkle the top of each mold with the shredded coconut, then snap on the lid and slide Popsicle sticks into each carefully. Return to the freezer and freeze until solid, for 6 hours or overnight.
Chocolate-Coco Paletas
These paletas can be made with Oaxacan chocolate or high-quality local chocolate such as Eldora in Albuquerque or Chokolá in Taos. Experiment with single-origin bars and flavored bars like Eldora’s Chili Blast. This recipe makes use of avocados on the edge. When too soft for slicing and too brown for guacamole, they can be an excellent substitute for butter and add creaminess to vegan recipes.
Chocolate-Coco Paletas
Ingredients
- 3 –4 ounces chocolate, broken into pieces
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 avocado, ripe or overripe
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Bring coconut milk to a very gentle simmer over low heat. Add chocolate and agave, and stir with a whisk or molinillo until chocolate has dissolved. Pour into a container and let it cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Put chocolate mixture, avocado, and cornstarch in the blender, and puree until smooth. Pour into Popsicle molds, snap on lids, insert Popsicle sticks, and freeze until solid, for 6 hours or overnight.
