Baking Classics
The Technique
Cherry Pie
The promise of homemade cherry pie will lure anyone over for a slice. When cherries are abundant the plump, sweet fruit is hard to resist. Queen Of Hearts Cherry Pie uses a blend of cherries, raspberries & strawberries to give the filling a bright red hue. Sometimes cherries can turn a deep shade of purple when baked so the berries pop in to deliver an attention grabbing red revel. In order to further maintain the lovely color, I prefer the clean look that cornstarch provides as opposed to flour or tapioca that can be found in other recipes. If you don’t have a traditional pitter, try my effortless technique on How To Pit Fresh Cherries using a pastry tip. They’ll be pie-ready in less than 10 minutes. An Almond Crumble Streusel bakes up crisp as the crowning jewel providing depth & texture to this summer beauty worth the effort but to really give this pie the attention it deserves, be certain to visit the original post for extra tips & photos with additional details on How To Make A Queen Of Hearts Pie Crust. With a few pastry dough cut outs attached to the edge of the crust, you’ll wow guests with the easy yet stunning presentation.
Queen Of Hearts Cherry Pie
makes 8 servings
You’ll need about 1 1/3 pounds of fresh cherries to get the 3 cups of pitted fruit in order to prepare the recipe.
Buttermilk-Cornmeal Pastry Dough
Almond Crumble Streusel
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 cups pitted, fresh sweet cherries
1 cup quartered fresh strawberries
1 {6-oz} package fresh raspberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp almond extract
Ice cream
Prepare the Buttermilk-Cornmeal Pastry Dough according to the Queen Of Hearts Pie Crust instructions. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Prepare the Almond Crumble Streusel. Whisk together the sugar & the cornstarch in a large bowl. Add the cherries, the strawberries, the raspberries, the lemon juice & the almond extract. Toss together the mixture well. Let stand 5 minutes. Spoon into the partially baked pie crust. Sprinkle with the Almond Crumble Streusel. Be certain the pie is still on the foil-lined half sheet pan for baking.
Bake on the middle oven rack 1 hour & 15 minutes to 1 hour & 25 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling throughout. Place a piece of foil loosely over the entire pie after 20 minutes to prevent over browning as the pie bakes. Cool 4 hours. Slice into wedges. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Buttermilk-Cornmeal Pastry Dough
makes 1 {10-inch} pie crust
Queen Of Hearts Pie Crust
Cutting heart shapes from the dough & attaching to the edges is a simple way to add style to a homemade pie. A few baking temperature & time adjustments to the original recipe yields a stellar result for the minimal extra effort.
1 1/2 cups ap flour
3 Tbsp plain yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup cold butter
1/4 cup cold shortening
3 to 4 Tbsp whole buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp whole buttermilk
Whisk together the flour, the cornmeal & the salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter & the shortening into the mixture using a fork or your fingers until crumbly in texture making certain to leave some of the fat in large bits. Drizzle 3 to 4 Tbsp buttermilk over the mixture & shape the dough into a disc.
Place a small portion of dough between two sheets of plastic wrap. Roll to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut 25 to 30 {7/8-inch} heart shapes from the dough. Cover with plastic wrap. Roll all of the remaining dough into a 11-inch circle. Remove the top piece of plastic & invert the dough into a lightly greased 10-inch pie plate. Remove the second piece of plastic wrap. Fit the dough down into the pie plate. Lift the excess dough hanging over the sides & fold it under so that it rests on the lip of the pan. Crimp the dough around edges using the tines of a fork. Secure a few pieces of the dough underneath the lip of the pie plate. Whisk together the egg & the 1 Tbsp buttermilk; brush the egg wash around the circumference of the dough on the lip of the plate. Attach the hearts in a decorative pattern in a few spots around the edges pressing lightly to adhere. Be certain to brush additional egg wash on each heart as you create the design. A small craft brush works well. Chill 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the unbaked crust on a foil-lined half sheet pan. Place a piece of parchment paper into the crust. Top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on the middle oven rack 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights or dried beans. Brush the crust all over with some of the remaining egg wash. Bake an additional 3 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before filling & baking further according to recipe instructions.
Almond Crumble Streusel
makes enough to top 1 {10-inch} pie
1/2 cup ap flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup melted butter
Toss together the flour, the sugar & the almonds in a small bowl. Drizzle with the butter & blend with a fork until crumbly in texture. Chill 20 minutes. Use as directed.
FROM THE KITCHEN OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{testing notes}
How To Make A Beautiful Cherry Pie
Summer barbecue & homemade pie go hand in hand. This beauty deserves top billing so put your skills to the test. From a crisp bottom pastry to a stunning slice on the plate. Follow these valuable tips & get ready to make your best ever cherry pie.
The Technique
A few pieces of equipment will be needed in order to complete the task. Read through the recipe before beginning. Here’s what you should know.
No. 1
The Pie Crust
Blind baking is a step that prepares the crust for the filling. The most straightforward method calls to line the unbaked crust with parchment paper. It’s then filled with pie weights or dried beans, about a pound or so will do the trick. The weight over the dough will yield a flat bottom crust ideal for a variety of fillings. Docking the dough is another method that can ensure a level baked crust. A fork or dough docking tool is used to prick small holes into the dough. Although not used in this application, it’s an interchangeable alternative to using pie weights. You will have just enough pastry to fill the plate & make the heart decoration from one recipe of dough. The smaller cut outs bake without flaw as they rest on the lip of the plate. No droopy designs with this technique. Cutting them from dough rolled to a 1/4-inch thickness allows the hearts to withstand the long bake time as well without burning. If the crust bubbles once the egg wash bakes over the surface, pierce with a wooden pick to release the steam & it will settle back into the pie plate. Swipe some extra egg wash over it & the heat will seal it again. Sometimes when fitting the crust into the pie plate air can get caught between the dough & the bottom of the pan if not pressed in real snug. Once the dough is secure to the lip of the pan, you may notice it. This simple fix will ensure the crust is flat once again & ready to be filled.
No. 2
The Fresh Fruit Preparation
This is where the saying easy as pie comes into play. The important point of this step is to be certain that the cornstarch is dispersed with the sugar throughout so the filling thickens evenly & without clumping. Once the cherries have had the pits removed, you can toss them in with the berries without the need to cut them smaller. It will take approximately 10 minutes to pit the cherries. For additional details, look for my easy technique on How To Pit Fresh Cherries using a pastry tip. Expect the filling to mound slightly over the crust. As the pie bakes & the juices are released & thickened, it will settle right to the top of the crust.
No. 3
The Baking
Once the Almond Crumble Streusel has been added to over the fruit, the pie is ready to go into the oven. Be certain to place the pie on a foil-lined half sheet pan as some of the hot filling will bubble over the lip of the plate in a few spots. The sides will keep it contained on the pan & not in the bottom of your oven. The foil will make clean up quick. This is normal in order for the filling to thicken & set properly as the pie cools. Look for several spots of bubbling fruit over the surface of the pie before removing it from the oven. Start checking the progress around 55 minutes. If you feel the crust is getting too brown & the filling is still looking a tad thin, scrunch the foil down a bit, loosely, to contain the heat better. I prefer to check the progress at this point about every 15 minutes. The pie slices beautifully after standing about 4 hours at room temperature. The crust is ultra crisp & not soggy in the least. The filling will not pool in the bottom of the pie plate. Top with ice cream if you’d like to or even enjoy a slice cold from the fridge. It’s all delicious.
The Tune
“Solomon: The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba” George Frideric Handel
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