It is a beautiful thing to enjoy a slice of sour (tart) cherry pie. I live in the Okanagan, where I am fortunate to be able to find sour cherries at the local farmer’s markets. Sour cherries are not as easily available as the more popular sweet dark cherries. I buy as many sour cherries as I can while they are in season and freeze them in 1 ½ lb. bags. These packages are used in breakfast Danish, Black Forest Cake and Sour (Tart) Cherry Pie throughout the year.

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Professional bakers prefer sour (tart) cherries for pies, Danish, pastries, cakes or jams because sour cherries have a characteristic tartness and bright red colour.  They maintain their cherry flavour during baking or jam making processes.

Sweet cherries are more commonly available and are eaten fresh or they can be used in the making of cherry clafouti (a French baked custard dessert), cherry vanilla ice cream, or used in an unbaked summer fruit tart.   Sweet cherries do not hold up well to high heat cooking, and lose their colour and texture and quickly become mushy. It is important to understand the difference because the sugar requirements for each type of cherry are significantly different. Make sure the recipe you are using indicates whether you are to use sour (tart) or sweet cherries, otherwise the texture and sugar balance will not meet your expectations.

TART (SOUR) CHERRY PIE

CHEF TALK: Sour cherry filling benefits from the addition of almond extract and Kirsch (also called Kirschwasser). Kirsch is a brandy distilled from the fermented juice of the black morello cherry. It is made by traditional methods in the Black Forest region of Germany.

Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 10 minutes; Bake time: 30 minutes

Recipe Requirements:

• 1 – 8 or 9-inch tart or 2 – 6-inch tart pans with removable bottoms
• 1 recipe Pâte Brisée or Pâte Sucrée

Prepare the crust dough and chill while you prepare the sour (tart) cherry pie filling

For the Cherry Pie Filling:

Makes: 3 cups cherry pie filling/ 850 g or 24 oz.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ½ cups frozen sour (tart) cherries (600 ml/1 lb. 8 oz. frozen), thawed, keeping any juices (or 4 cups fresh pitted sour cherries)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon Kirsch, optional, but recommended

METHOD:

1. Place the cherries and any juices in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring the cherries and juices to a boil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well.
3. Cook over low heat until the mixture is thickened (about five minutes).
4. Add the almond extract, vanilla extract, Kirsch and the butter. Stir well. CHEF TIP: Add the almond extract, vanilla extract, Kirsch along with the butter at the end of the cooking process so that the flavours do not dissipate in the thickening process.
5. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.

ASSEMBLY OF THE CHERRY PIE:

1. Prepare the pie or tart pan by spraying with pan spray and dusting well with flour. Tap out the excess flour and set the tart pan on a parchment lined baking sheet.
2. Roll out the crust dough to fit the shallow 8 or 9-inch pie tin or the 2 – 6-inch tart tins.
3. Pour the cooled cherry filling into the prepared tin.
4. Moisten the edge of the crust with water.
5. Roll out more dough for the top crust. Place the dough on the top of the pie filling and press the edges of the dough together slightly to adhere. Flute (pinch) the edges of the crust (learn how to flute pie edges here). Make a hole or slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape. Alternatively, you can try creating a lattice crust by crisscrossing strips of pastry on top of the filling.
6. Sprinkle the top of the crust with granulated sugar.
7. Bake the 8 or 9-inch tart for 40 to 50 minutes; 30 – 40 minutes for the 6-inch tarts. The pastry will be golden brown and look flaky. CHEF TIP: If the edges of the pie pastry start to brown more quickly than the centre of the pie pastry, tent around the pie edges with strips of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
8. Remove the pies from the oven and place on a rack to cool.
9. When the pies are cool, chill them until needed. The pie is easier to slice if chilled overnight, however, it is best served at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

More Recipes Like This from Urb’n’Spice:

Apple Cream Pie

Australian Meat Pies

Easy to Make Decadent Dark Chocolate Tart

Pâte Brisée – Learn How to Make a Classic French Pastry

Pâte Sucrée – A Classic French Sweet Pastry

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

• Cutting pies and Tarts
• Oven Temperature Accuracy
• The Simple Spatula
• Vanilla Extract
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If you try this recipe for Tart (Sour) Cherry Pie, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy! 

 

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

 

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