Cherry Squares Tested Recipe

Cherry Squares Recipe

Cherry Squares take us back in time - back to the 1960s. As a child Cherry Squares were 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. 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.

Today I still make Cherry Squares 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 how they bring back fond memories.

So, what is Cherry Pie Filling? It is a canned mixture of sweet red pitted cherries packed in sweetened water and thickened with cornstarch (corn flour). This recipe uses a 21 ounce (595 grams) can. However, if you do not like cherry pie filling, you could just serve these squares with a medley of fresh berries, or this strawberry, raspberry, blueberry sauce, or even this chocolate sauce.


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Cherry Squares: 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 preferably overnight.

To serve - cut into squares, using a sharp knife.

Makes about 16 - 2 inch (5 cm) squares. Preparation time 45 minutes.

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 (contains 35-40% butterfat)

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