Paletas de Crema y Cereza con Tequila
This definitely isn’t a common flavor of paletas in Mexico! It’s inspired by one of the first desserts that wowed me as a child—and my favorite dessert for years: cherries jubilee. My extended family and I were on a cruise, and one night all the waiters came out to make cherries jubilee, flambéing the cherries tableside, then serving them over vanilla ice cream. It was quite a theatrical spectacle to see all the elegant waiters simultaneously come out of nowhere with their carts. I was more impressed by the amazing flavors than the dramatic flair. Back then, I was too young to know the word sublime, but that’s definitely how I felt when I ate it. In this version, sour cream replaces the vanilla ice cream. Its tart flavor complements the sweet cherries deliciously.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 to 10
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the cherries in a nonreactive saucepan with the confectioners’ sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and simmer, stirring often, until the syrup has thickened and has a consistency like maple syrup. Remove from the heat, stir in the tequila, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
Step 2
Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid for another use (like a yummy raspado!). Combine the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. If using the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the mixture, then add the pod. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just comes to a boil.
Step 3
Remove from the heat, add the sour cream, and stir with a whisk until completely smooth. If using vanilla extract, stir it in at this point. Let cool slightly, then discard the vanilla bean pod and refrigerate the mixture until completely chilled.
Step 4
Put a bit of the sour cream mixture into each of the molds, to a height of about 1 inch. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 30 minutes.
Step 5
Divide the drained cherries among the molds, then pour in the remaining sour cream mixture, dividing it evenly among the molds.
Step 6
If using conventional molds, snap on the lid and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (45 minutes to 1 hour), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours. If using an instant ice pop maker, mix the cherries with the sour cream mixture before pouring it into the molds, then follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
