Boozy Cherries are easy to make and easy to eat! Add ice cream and you’ve got a dessert that is perfect for any adult to enjoy at the end of a hot summer day!
Boozy Cherries
Boozy cherries are cherries that have been soaked or preserved in alcohol, typically a type of liquor such as brandy, whiskey, rum, or vodka. The cherries absorb the flavors of the alcohol, resulting in a unique and often enhanced taste compared to regular cherries. They are commonly used as a cocktail garnish or as an ingredient in various culinary dishes and desserts.
Now, these cherries are adults only- sorry kiddos!
Certainly! Here’s a simple recipe to make boozy cherries with bourbon, sugar, and cherries on the stove:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste)
Instructions:
- Wash and pit the cherries. You can do this by cutting a small slit in each cherry with a paring knife and then removing the pit. You can use a cherry pitter if you have one!
- In a medium saucepan, combine the bourbon and sugar over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture begins to simmer.
- Once the mixture is simmering, add the pitted cherries to the saucepan.
- Let the cherries simmer in the bourbon mixture for about 5-7 minutes. You want the cherries to soften slightly and absorb some of the flavors from the bourbon.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
- Carefully transfer the cherries and the bourbon mixture into a glass jar or container.
- Enjoy the boozy cherries on their own, as a dessert topping, or as a garnish for cocktails!
Remember, the sweetness and bourbon flavor intensity can be adjusted to your taste. You can also experiment with other flavor additions such as cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, cloves, or orange zest to create your own unique twist on this recipe.
You Scream, I Scream, We ALL Scream Ice Cream!
For this particular recipe, we chose vanilla ice cream- a classic flavor to allow the boozy cherries to shine! You can use plenty of ice cream flavors. Here are few that I think would be delicious!
- Vanilla
- Coconut
- Caramel
- Coffee
- Cookies and Cream (I am very interested in trying the boozy cherries with this one!!)
- Rocky Road
- Maple
Cherries are a versatile fruit that can be used to create a wide range of delicious desserts. Here are some other desserts that could be enjoyed even more with boozy cherries!
- Cherry Pie- ooooh yes! Make you cherry pie normally and then top with the bourbon-soaked cherries!
- Black Forrest Cake- Chocolate cake layered with cream and cherries (cherries are normally socked with brandy so replace with the bourbon)
- Cherry Cheesecake- need I say more????
- Cherry Bread Pudding- Honey, let me tell you, during quarantine of 2020, I ate half of my weight in some bread pudding!! Now if only I would have made some boozy cherries to top my bread pudding with…
- Chocolate Mousse- Mousse in general is so fluffy and delicious, add in some cherries to level up!
These are just a few ideas, and there are countless ways to incorporate cherries into your favorite desserts. Whether you prefer baked treats, frozen delights, or creamy creations, cherries can add a burst of flavor and color to your sweet creations. If you have a suggestion, leave a comment below!!
What Bourbon Should I Use??
This is totally up to you!! Now, I wouldn’t use your favorite top shelf bourbon unless you really really want to, so I would opt to use a middle of the pack bourbon. I made boozy cherries with Evan Williams, but it is up to you for which bourbon you’d like to use!
Let’s Smoke It!
Lastly, let’s amp it up with smoke! We smoked this with our Cherry Smoke Dust to really pull out the Cherry flavor in the boozy cherries. But, you can also add Cinnamon Smoke Dust or even our Bourbon Barrel Smoke Dust to amp u p the flavor of the bourbon!
Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 sealable container
- 1 glass
- 1 Smokeshow Smoker
- 1 Butane Torch
Ingredients
Boozy Cherries
- 2 cups Pitted Cherries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup bourbon
Ice Cream
- 1 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
- 4-5 boozy cherries with the syrup
Smoke & Toppings
- 1 pinch Cherry Smoke Dust
- 1 dash Ground Cinnamon
- 1 drizzle Chocolate Syrup
Instructions
Boozy Cherries
- Combine ingredients in a pot over medium-high heat. Let sugar dissolve before adding cherries. Cook for about 10 minutes. Let cool and transfer to a sealable container.
- When cherries have cooled, prepare dessert. Scoop ice cream into a glass. top with cherries and syrup.
Smoke & Toppings
- Place Smokeshow Smoker on top of glass, smoke, and remove smoker. Top with extra toppings of choice!
