Cherries

Yes, oh, yes - a 3-er, a 4-er and a 5-er!!!

A chance purchase of a big box of cherries going for a song in Leamington Spa = actually dreaming about cherry recipes. Pretty lovely dreams though. Cherry dreams.

So, in anticipation of this summer's wonderful English cherries, here are a few lovely things to try. Not long to go now until cherry season here. Keep busy with the strawbs until then.

Cherry Pie


Oh me, oh my, see my Cherry Pie. Probably one of the best things I've ever made. So good, I was slightly expecting someone to call round and give me a prize. No-one did.







You need: 

Shortcrust pastry - I used 500g flour, 250g butter, 3 egg yolks and had leftovers to make the Pie Pops. Please, see Richard Bertinet for pastry making skills: http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/articles/pastry_richard_bertinet - THIS MAN IS AN UTTER GENIUS.

For the filling you'll need:

• lots and lots of cherries.
• 2 tbsps cornflour
• 2 tsps cinnamon - SO good with cherry as they both have that slightly medicinal taste if you know what I mean.
• 2-3 tbsp sugar

1. Preheat to 180
2. De-stone your cherries. This is not a pain. This is a pleasure. Make a cuppa, put the radio on and get busy with the de-stoning, olive-pitting tool that's lurking in your utensil drawer. (Not got one? Oh, then in IS a pain). 
3. Make your pastry - get the skills, it's a joy.
4. Line a springform tin with pastry and get a pastry lid ready - chill (the lined tin).
5. Toss the cherries with the cornflour, sugar and cinnamon
6. Fill the pie, put the lid on and seal it really well. 
7. Brush with whatever is left of the egg yolk mixed with a teeny bit of water
8. Cook for about 40 mins
9. Take the tin off cafefully - it should be browned all over over, including the bottom - if not, put back in the oven tin-less for a few mins.

Cherry Meringues

• 3 egg whites
• 6oz caster sugar + couple of extra tbsps
• Couple of handfuls of cherries
• Creme de Cassis is it's lurking in your booze collection

1. Simmer the cherries for a spell with a splosh of the Cassis, splish of water and a tbsp of sugar. Take them out to cool
2. Reduce the Cassis mix until it's a syrup
3. Make meringue - see this post for how'ft do it. 
4. Pipe or splodge a blob of meringue at intervals over your baking tray (use greaseproof or silicone liner). Pop a cherry on each blob. Pipe or splodge meringue over the cherry to cover it.
5. Cook to your liking using the instructions here.
6. Let them cool and drizzle with the Cassis reduction.

Cherry & Yoghurt Trifle

Not sure I can give you a recipe for these. They were pretty, but not that tasty as the cherries were a bit bland. Better to make this from the Mighty Nathan Outlaw which is what inspired them: http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/rhubarb-trifle-crumble-recipe . The oaty bit was good. Just oats toasted in a dry pan, then butter and demerara thrown in. And the cream isn't cream but hung yoghurt.

Chocolate Cherry Pie Pops Cherry & Yoghurt Trifle

Leftover pastry from the Cherry Pie made into pies on sticks. Kiddies loved them. They've just got cherries and dark chocolate in.










And here's a few more pictures of the cherry pie, just so you can see how awesome it was.