Citrus Poached Cherry Snow

Today, I have the coolest treat for you, literally!  If you want a treat that is totally cool and refreshing for the summer, look no further.  Give this Citrus Poached Cherry Snow a try.  The best part is, you’ll feel good after having this snow.  It cools you down from the hottest weather from the very first bite.  It’s also packed with wonderful flavors, as well as lots of vitamins and antioxidant to keep you energized for all those summer activities.  



My first snow cone memories was dated back to a 2nd grade school visit at a County Fair, when I came to visit the United State (I lived in Hong Kong until I turned 18, before moving to the States).  My very first snow cone was simply some crushed ice with some deeply colored and artificially flavored syrup (blah!)  But I remember I did enjoy it a lot because it turned my tongue blue!  That was pretty fun for a 7 year old, I guess.  Fortunately, I’ve never craved for another artificially colored and flavored snow cones afterwards. 



With this Citrus Poached Cherry Snow recipe, I used the zest and juice of oranges and lemons as the poaching liquid along with half a vanilla bean, some fresh thyme and mint leaves.  Bam!  That is such an awesome flavor combination!  I let the poaching liquid simmer for a few minutes so the flavor developed before adding the cherries and white peaches into it.  That way, the fruit still has a bite after poaching.  When it’s ready, let the fruit and syrup cool down and chill in the fridge.  When you’re ready to serve, scoop some crushed ice into a glass, spoon some poached fruit and syrup on top along with some freshly diced mango.  hm…that’s simply heaven.



Here’s a pictorial on how to dice a mango.  Super easy and you’ll get perfectly diced mango every time. 

1) Position the mango on a plate or cutting board as shown in picture number 1 below.  The pit is right in the middle so, you want to cut through the mango in thirds right along the pit. Then, gently score the flesh horizontally and vertically to create the squares, be careful not to cut through the skin. 

2) With a spoon, scoop out the flesh and you have perfectly diced mango.  The part with the pit usually is my “treat” right after dicing.  You know, gotta reward the chef after the hard work!





The poaching liquid turned to a vibrant deep red color because of the cherries.  Best of all, it didn’t turn my tongue into bright red.  hahaha…My kids certainly enjoyed this Citrus Poached Cherry Snow a lot.  It’s the best way to cool down this summer.



What is your favorite summery treat?  I would love to hear from you and maybe try some of your recipes if you share.  Until next time, take care.



 
 



Citrus Poached Cherry Snow: (Printable Recipe)
1/2 vanilla bean
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
10 springs of fresh thyme
5 springs of fresh mint (plus more for garnish)
2 cup pitted cherry
2-3 small white peaches, pitted and cut into wedges
1 mango, diced
3 cups crushed ice

With a paring knife, split the vanilla bean in half, length wise and scrape out the seeds inside.  In a medium saucepan, add the seeds, vanilla bean pod, orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, thyme, and mint. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat and cook for 5 minutes.

Then, add the cherries and peaches, continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the fruit mixture to cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until ready to use. I made mine one day in advance, covered and keep refrigerated.

To serve, remove the vanilla pod, thyme and mint from the syrup and discard. Scoop some shaved ice in small bowls or glasses and drizzle with the poached fruit, diced mango and syrup on top. Garnish with a few mint leaves and enjoy.