Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Cherry Crumb Pie

I can't seem to stop making pies. I don't really eat them, one or two slices maybe, then I give the rest away to people at work, or take them to a party. There's something about making a pie that comforts me. When I'm a little sad, making a pie always cheers me up. Maybe it's the way I work with my hands to form a perfect crust, which by the way, I think I've finally mastered. (Thanks to Smitten Kitchen Deb!) This recipe actually was inspired by Miss Smitten since she posted it the day after I made homemade cherry compote, or pie filling if that's what you want to call it. I had gotten some tart cherries from the Monroe Farm Market, and they were starting to ripen, and I either had to cook them, or freeze them. I also had a bag of sweet cherries leftover from the wine and jazz festival (thanks Jer), so I thought, why not combine them? Kind of a "sweet and sour cherry compote"? I don't think tart cherries are available fresh anymore (they're only available for about two weeks), but you can buy them canned at the grocery store, or here at Montmorency. See Deb's link above for pie crust. I'll admit laziness though, I don't make it by hand, I'm all about the food processor. Sour Cherry Compote (adapted from Gourmet 2001) 2 lb fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted (do this the night before with a bottle of wine and a good movie, cause it WILL take that long) 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla Pit cherries over a bowl to catch any juices. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, then add water and any cherry juice, whisking until smooth. Add cherries and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Boil, stirring, 2 minutes, then drain in a sieve set over a bowl. Return the liquid to saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrup is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in vanilla, then pour syrup over cherries in a bowl and cool. Form pie crust in pie pan, and poke many holes with a fork on bottom of the crust. Brush entire crust with egg wash (one egg white with 2 tablespoons cold water). Add the cooled pie filling. Topping (adapted from Deb's Smitten Kitchen) 1 cup quick oats 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 cup unsalted sliced almonds, roughly chopped 1 stick unsalted butter cool, but not cold Combine all the ingredients for the topping in a bowl with your hands. I've tried the food processor with this, it just turns into a mealy consistency...you want CHUNKS of butter and sugar. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, until the top begins to brown, then cover LOOSELY with foil (otherwise it'll get soggy), and cook for another 15-20 minutes.