This
recipe takes us back
in time - back to the 1960s. The sixties was a time of instant foods; things
like cake
mixes, canned fruits, and instant puddings. Women didn't want to be like their mothers
who spent hours preparing meals, so they used foods that would get them in
and out of the kitchen quickly. My mother seemed to embrace both her and her
mother's generation. On the one hand she would make her own bread and bake us
cookies from scratch. On the other hand she would make cakes using boxed mixes
and make desserts such as these Cherry Squares that would combine homemade with
instant.
As a child this was one of my
favorite desserts; a sweet and grainy graham cracker crust, topped with a soft
and creamy marshmallow filling and juicy sweet canned red cherries. Today I
still make it the same way as my mother did, although sometimes I like to
replace 1/2 cup of the graham cracker crumbs with crushed gingersnap cookies.
And if I am ambitious I will substitute homemade marshmallows for the packaged
variety. But I still love how these squares taste and it brings back such fond
memories.
So, what is Cherry Pie Filling? It
is a canned mixture of sweet red pitted cherries packed in sugar and water. This
recipe uses a 21 ounce (595 grams) can and the brand I often use is Comstock. I
like to make this dessert the day before serving so the flavors have time to
mingle and everything becomes nice and firm.
Butter, or spray
with a non-stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 9 inch (23
x 23 cm) square baking pan.
Graham Cracker
Crust: In a medium-sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted
butter. Press about 2/3 of the mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared
pan. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Cream Filling:
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream, sugar,
and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold in the miniature marshmallows. Pour the
filling over the graham cracker base and smooth the top. Cover and place in the
refrigerator for about an hour and then spread the cherry pie filling over the
cream. Sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker crumbs. Cover and place back
in the refrigerator for several hours, or overnight.
To serve - cut
into squares, using a sharp knife.
Makes about 16 - 2
inch (5 cm) squares.
Graham Cracker Crust:
2 cups (200 grams) graham
wafer crumbs or crushed digestive cookies
2 tablespoons (30 grams)
granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (113 grams)
unsalted butter, melted
Cream
Filling:
1 cup (240
ml) heavy whipping cream
1
tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups
(160 grams) miniature marshmallows (homemade
or store bought)
Topping:
1 - 21
ounce (595 grams) can cherry pie filling
s
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