Cherry Crumb Pie With Almond Streusel

Pin It

So it's cherry time and everyone has a cherry recipe up on his or her blog.  Oh dear....

It's nail biting time for Lindaraxa, she who hates to bake pies and make cookies.  But she who knows how to make a shortcut sing no matter what.  And, much to her surprise and Madame Mere's, the stiffest judge on this face of the earth, this easy as pie recipe worked in spades!

Take a ready made crust from Mrs. Smith and partner it with an inspiration from a David Leibowitz tart and an adaptation of Dorie Greenspan's streussel topping and you get the quickest, easiest and most divine Cherry Almond Crumb Pie ever.  That's it, take a bow and exit right.

This shot is just to prove I really made this.

So you may ask, why did Lindaraxa fudge around with two recipes instead of making one or the other?

Well, David Leibowitz required apricots and I didn't have any ; but I did have a full bag of cherries that would have gone to waste quickly unless drastic measures were taken.  I also was not sure about the marzipan addition to the crumble.  I thought the almond flavor might be too intense and I preferred the subtle taste of almonds.

As to Dorie Greenspan's recipe....whilst her tart dough is easy and no problem for a neophyte like Lindaraxa, why not use one of the two ready made crusts in her freezer seeing she was running behind schedule.   There was also almond flour in her pantry....

The rest is for you to behold.  Even Madame Mere had no idea it was a ready made crust.  She is still asking about the recipe.  Mum's the word.

Look at that streusel topping...crispy and perfect!

Cherry Crumb Pie With Almond Streusel

Serves 6

1 Mrs. Smith frozen and ready to bake pie crust or

   a homemade sweet tart dough 

2 TB almond flour


Cherry Filling

• Enough cherries to fill an 8 inch pie crust, pitted
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, depending how sweet you like your filling.  

Almond Streusel

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature*

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup almonds

3 to 4 drops almond extract

Directions:

Pit all the cherries. Add the cornstarch and the sugar to the cherries, mix and set aside.

Pre bake the pie crust according to directions.  Cool.

Make the crumble

Put all the ingredients except the nuts in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms clumps and curds and holds together when pressed.  Scrape the topping into a bowl, stir in the nuts and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface.  (you can also do this by hand) Refrigerate until needed.  Covered well, the crumb mixture can stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

After the pie crust is cool sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of the almond flour on top.  This makes a layer between the crust and the filling and prevents it from getting soggy.

 Add the cherry/cornstarch mix.  

Add the crumble in tablespoons and scatter all over the top of the filling leaving some gaps in between.  Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 30 minutes or until it is bubbly and the top is golden. . Let cool for about a couple of hours.

It was really good the next day after it sat refrigerated overnight and brought to room temperature the next day.

*original has 10 TBS

Cherry Cobbler

Pin It

Now that cherries are at the height of their season, I have been looking for a recipe to post that was not a cherry pie.  You see, in this house that was my mother in law's territory and no matter how good a recipe for cherry pie I can come up with it will never be the same.  Maybe one of these days when my children are far away, like in Alaska, I will get the courage to make one.  In the meantime, here is an easier alternative.

A cobbler is really a biscuit top over fruit.  There is no bottom layer to worry about and very little pin action.  My cup of tea...

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

2 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing

3 pounds fresh sweet cherries, pitted, or 2 1/4 pounds frozen cherries

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tsp. vanilla or 2 TB cranberry juice

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. Using large holes on a box grater, grate butter into flour mixture. With a fork, stir in cream until dough just comes together. On a floured work surface, roll out dough to a 3/4-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. With a knife or biscuit cutter, cut out 8 to 12 rounds or squares of dough.

2.In a bowl, combine cherries, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and cranberry juice. Divide mixture among four 1- to 1 1/2-cup ramekins; top each with 2 to 3 dough pieces. ( You can also place the cherries in one baking dish and with an ice cream scoop,  scoop biscuits on top, spacing them 1 1/2 to to 2 inches apart). Brush tops with cream. (I also like to sprinkle a small amount of sugar on top).

 Cook's Illustrated

Bake cobblers on a rimmed baking sheet until biscuits are golden and juices are bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

English Trifle With Pears And Cherries

Pin It

English trifle is one of those desserts that looks like you have spent hours making it when in reality it is a very simple dessert to put together.  In this recipe all you will be actually making is the creme anglaise which takes about 10 minutes to make.  The rest is assembling ready made ingredients and waiting for them to get really cold. 

This recipe calls for pears and cherries, a great and festive combination, but you can really substitute any fruit you want.  If you have a good bakery near you, get their pound cake or sponge cake there.  If not, Sara Lee is pretty good. You can even use lady fingers if you want.

Sherry is the traditional wine for this dessert, but you can use rum, madeira or anything else that is similar.  As to the whipped cream, you can make it a couple of hours before serving, cover the top of the dish and stick it in the refrigerator.  It will keep.  Now, if you choose to cheat with ready made, fine, but I guarantee you it won't be the same!

You can cut this recipe down by making only two layers which should serve 6 to 8 people.  If you have extra sauce anglaise cover and refrigerate.  It should be good for 2-3 days and can be enjoyed with other fruits or meringues!

Serves 10 - 12

Ingredients:


1 cup dried tart cherries

3 Bartlett pears

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cups raspberry jam

1⁄4 cup warm water

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted (see Note)

1  9-by-5-inch bakery pound cake (I recommend Sara Lee)

1 cup sherry (preferably amontillado or oloroso),
   Madeira or sweet Marsala

2 recipes crème anglaise*

For the whipped cream:

1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream

1 1⁄2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Make the Creme Anglaise first, as it will take 2-3 hours to cool

2.  Put the dried cherries in a small bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to plump the cherries. Drain. Reserve about 2 Tbs. of the cherries for garnish.

3 Peel the pears, halve lengthwise, core and cut the pears crosswise into thin slices. Put them in a bowl, add the lemon juice and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the jam with the warm water and stir. Reserve about 2 Tbs. of the almonds for garnish.

4. Cut the cake into slices 1/2 inch thick. In a 2 1/2-quart trifle dish or deep glass bowl, make a layer of one-third of the cake slices, cutting and fitting them together as necessary. Sprinkle the cake layer with one-third of the sherry. Dollop one-third of the jam mixture over the cake. Sprinkle the jam with one-third each of the pears, cherries and almonds, in that order. Pour 1 1/3 cups of the crème anglaise over the top. Repeat to make 2 more layers.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the trifle for at least 2 hours or up to overnight

6. About 30 minutes before serving, make the whipped cream: In a deep bowl, using a balloon whisk, beat the cream, confectioners¿ sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spoon the cream over the top of the trifle. Garnish with the reserved cherries and almonds. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. To serve, scoop out large spoonfuls, going down to the bottom layer. Serves 10 to 12.

Note: To toast the slivered almonds, in a small, dry fry pan over medium-low heat, stir the almonds frequently until they are fragrant and begin to turn golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Creme Anglaise*

Ingredients:


2 cups milk

2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1⁄4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions:

Rinse the inside of a nonaluminum saucepan with water and shake out the excess water. Pour in the milk, place over medium-low heat and cook until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk and sugar and whisk just until blended. Gradually whisk in half of the hot milk, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Set over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn through it, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not allow it to boil.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and let cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 2 days.

Makes about 2 cups.


Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Christmas, by Carolyn Miller (Simon & Schuster, 2003).

Roasted Cornish Hens With Cherry Port Glaze

Pin It

A very simple but elegant main dish for a Fall dinner party or family dinner.  Serve with a Gratin of Pearl Onions and Gruyere. and brussel sprouts or haricot verts.

The Pumpkin Flan With Pumpkin Seed Praline would be a killer dessert!



Yield: 4 servings
(serving size: 1/2 hen)

Ingredients

1/2 cup cherry preserves

1/2 cup port

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 (1 1/2-pound) Cornish hens

1 large onion

juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Early in the morning, remove and discard giblets and necks from hens. Rinse hens with cold water; pat dry. Remove skin; trim excess fat.  Chop 1 large onion and place in a large ziplock bag with the cornish hens.  Insert some of the onions in the cavity. Squeeze the lemon juice over the hens. Add some salt and pepper. Cover and place back in refrigerator.

Remove hens from the fridge at least an hour before cooking.  Discard the onions.

Preheat oven to 400°. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray.

Combine preserves, port, ginger, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 9 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Working with 1 hen at a time, tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under hen. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Set on wire rack on baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Brush hens with cherry mixture; bake 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 165°, brushing with cherry mixture every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove twine; split hens in half lengthwise.

Recipe adapted from CookingLight