Holiday Cherry Pie

Holiday Cherry Pie

Whip up a new dish for your family with the Herald-Guide’s Recipe of the Week.

Makes 2 (8-inch) pies, 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 16-ounce package frozen sweet cherries (about 1-3/4 cups)
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 18-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 2 8-inch chocolate crumb pie crusts

Directions:

Chop cherries while frozen. Keep frozen until ready to use.

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk; mix well. Add chopped cherries, lemon juice and almond extract; stir just until combined. Fold in whipped topping.

Pour cherry mixture evenly into pie crusts. Freeze 8 hours or overnight. Cut into serving-size pieces. Garnish with shaved chocolate, or as desired. Serve immediately; pie slices thaw quickly. Store leftovers, covered, in freezer.

Cherry Chocolate Bark

Makes 36 medium pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries, stemless
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 8 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, cut into pieces
• 8 ounces white chocolate, cut into pieces
• Chop cherries; set aside

Directions:

Mix pecans with nutmeg and cinnamon; set aside.

Before melting chocolate, cover large baking sheet or other flat surface (that fits in refrigerator) with waxed paper. Melt semisweet chocolate in small saucepan over low heat; stir constantly. Do not allow it to burn or get hard in bottom of pan. Pour melted chocolate in prepared pan. Using a metal spatula or knife, quickly spread chocolate into a rectangle, about 14 x 8 inches or about 1/8 inch thick. Put in refrigerator; chill about 20 minutes.

Melt white chocolate in small saucepan, being careful that it does not burn in bottom of pan; stir constantly. Remove pan with semisweet chocolate from refrigerator. Pour melted white chocolate over semisweet chocolate layer. Quickly spread white chocolate to cover semisweet chocolate layer, using a metal spatula or knife.

Sprinkle pecans and cherries evenly over chocolate. Use metal spatula to press cherries and pecans into chocolate. Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight. Break into irregular pieces. Store in cool place in airtight container.