Port Wine & Bing Cherries are the perfect pair in this tastefully sweet, frozen treat!
This month’s Recipe Redux theme is a lively one as we were challenged to use liqueurs, extracts, and other alcohol in our recipes. I’ve been wanting to make popsicles, so this was the perfect opportunity to create something a little unconventional. 
A couple years ago, I helped out with a wine and cheese pairing class at the Salud Cooking School at Whole Foods and tried port wine for the first time. I wish I could remember the name of it because it was soooo good. Since then I’ve been in search of a similar port, but have learned a few things along the way about the different types of port wine. I prefer the Tawny variety, which is sweet dessert wine that’s fortified with brandy. Normally I pair Tawny with dark chocolates, but when I came across some perfectly in-season cherries, I thought this would be a match made in heaven for frozen treats!
The out-of-place-but-totally-necessary ingredient in this recipe is coconut milk. Just trust me on this one. Add the coconut milk and don’t look back. You’ll be glad you did. Besides adding some creaminess to the popsicles, it lends just the slightest coconut flavor that will leave people wondering what it is they’re tasting as they devour the frozen treat.
How many popsicles you end up with depends on the size of the molds you have. You’ll have approximately 14 ounces of liquid to use for popsicle-making.
Port Wine & Bing Cherry Pops
Ingredients
- 2 cups bing cherries cut in half, stem and pit removed
- 1/2 cup Tawny Port wine
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar divided
- 1 tsp. lime juice
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
Instructions
- 1. In a small saucepan, heat cherries, port wine, water, sugar, and lime juice over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until cherries are softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- 2. Puree cherry mixture in a blender. This should make about 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Pour liquid into a bowl or glass measuring cup and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator.
- 3. Pour coconut milk into a small saucepan and add sugar. Allow sugar to dissolve into coconut milk over low heat. Once sugar is dissolved remove pan from heat.
- 4. Combine the cherry-wine liquid and the coconut milk in a pitcher or large measuring cup that will allow for easy pouring into popsicle molds. You should have about 1 3/4 cup of liquid total. Fill popsicle molds.
- 5. Let popsicles set in freezer for at least 8 hours. To remove popsicles from mold, run cool water over popsicle mold for about 60 seconds. You'll see the popsicle start to release from the sides of the mold, then you can gently remove the popsicle.
Need more boozy recipes? Check out the other Recipe Redux submissions by clicking on the blue frog below! Stay cool!
