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Northwest Cherry Pie

Mini Cherry Pimm's Pies

Cherry Cheesecake cups

Cherry Cake

Cherry Tart

Cherry Blondies

Cherry Slab Pie

Cherry Almond bars

Northwest Sweet Cherry Pie

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Course: Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 Pie crusts, prepared
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cherry juice, reserved from pitting (fresh) or from rinsing/rehydrating (preserved)
• 7 cups Northwest Cherries pitted
• 3/4-1 cup sugar*
• 1 tbsp almond extract or bourbon-vanilla bean infusion

Instructions

• sing a fork, whisk together the cherry water and cornstarch in a small bowl, then set aside.

  2.       Stem and pit the cherries, if not already done. 

  3.       Fill pie dish with cherries and blend the remaining volume (about 2 cups or 1/4 the total volume) into a puree. Pour the remaining whole cherries into a mixing bowl and return to the refrigerator (if using frozen cherries). 

  4.       Using a heavy-bottomed pan, gently heat the puree and sugar over low heat until the volume has reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. Constantly stir across the bottom to prevent burning. 

  5.       Once reduced, remove from the heat and stir in the cornstarch slurry until the mix regains translucency.  Gently and briefly reheat if needed. Stir in the extract and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

  6.       Pour the cooled mixture over the whole cherries, gently stirring to incorporate. Pour the final cherry mixture into a 9 or 10-inch prepared pie crust, and top with a second crust. Pinch, crimp and vent the top crust. Brush with a beaten egg if so desired and sprinkle lightly with coconut sugar.

  Bake at 375 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is steadily bubbling. Aluminum foil may be used around the crust edges to prevent browning during the second half of the bake. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack, and most importantly, allow the pie to cool completely before serving (3-4 hours).

  *sugar may be substituted for 3/4 - 1 cup coconut sugar (Grandma later changed this to lower-glycemic coconut sugar)

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Mini Cherry Pimm's Pies

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Course: Dessert

Author: Marilla Liff

Ingredients

• 1 lb cherries, pitted and chopped (leave some in halves for texture)
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup Pimm's No.1 Cup
• 1 egg, beaten
• pie crust enough for 9-10" pie

Instructions

• Directions:

  1.    Preheat oven to 375º F.

  2.    Put cherries in a medium bowl and add sugar. Mix gently. Let sit for five minutes. Add lemon juice and Pimm’s, and again mix gently. Sprinkle cornstarch over the top and toss- again gently. Set aside.

  3.    Roll out dough and fill your mini-pie shells or tart shells. Press and even it out, then fill with about 2-3 tablespoons filling; depending on the size of your shells. Also, depending on how many you have, you might have dough leftover. I have four shells and between the bottoms and the hearts, I used most of it but had enough left for maybe two more.

  4.    Cut out shapes for the top- any shapes will do. Circles, hearts, stars… or you can cut strips and make a lattice top. Place on top of filling. You can also skip this and just make more pies.

  5.    Brush crust & tops with beaten egg. Place pies on a cookie sheet (line with parchment if it’s a good one!).Bake pies for 30-40 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the tops are golden browned. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before even thinking about eating! Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

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Sweet Cherry Cheesecake

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Course: Dessert

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Cheesecake crust

• 4.75 oz Graham Crackers Crushed
• 1.75 oz Melted Butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Whipping Cream
• 1/4 cup Cream Cheese Room Temp
• 2 tbsp Powdered Sugar
• 2 cups Northwest Cherries Pitted and Halved

Instructions

• Mix the cookie crumbs and melted butter.

  Spoon some crumbs into each glass and press firmly with the back of a spoon or fingertips.

  Put the glasses in the refrigerator while the rest of the cheesecake is prepared.

  Whip the cream, then mix yogurt, cream cheese and powdered sugar and add it to the whipped cream.

  Pour this mixture on the cookie crust, level it and put the glasses in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.

  Top with Fresh Northwest Cherries.

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Cherry Cake

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Course: Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 cups Northwest Cherries pitted and halved
• 1 3/4 cups Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 4 tbsp Butter Unsalted
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• Powdered Sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in eggs. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet. Stir in milk, vanilla extract. Butter a 9 inch square baking dish and line with pitted cherries. Pour batter over cherries and bake 30 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean. Dust with sifted powdered sugar while cake is cooling.

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Cherry Tart

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Course: Dessert

Ingredients

Pie Dough:

• 16 oz All purpose flour
• 10 oz unsalted butter
• 6 oz cold water
• pinch of salt

Pastry Cream:

• 2 oz All purpose flour
• 6 oz granulated sugar
• 16 oz whole milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 vanilla bean split
• 1 oz unsalted butter

Cherry Topping:

• 2 cups Northwest Sweet Cherries, pitted
• 1/2 cup sugar in the raw
• water

Instructions

• 1.       Place the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, stir until well combined.  Make the pie dough by grating in the butter to the flour, stirring the flour to incorporate the butter.  What you are after are pea size chunks, so the grating technique works well to achieve a uniform consistency.  Rub the butter and flour between your fingers to insure the butter is the right size and is mixed in.  Pour in the cold water, and mix only to combine.  Do not knead dough.  The less you work it, the more flaky the crust will become.  You should have a nice dough.  Wrap with plastic film, and place in a refrigerator for at least one hour.

  2.      Prepare the pastry cream.   Sift the flour and sugar together.  Then place yolks into a mixing bowl, add 8 oz of the milk.  Stir the flour/sugar mixture into the yolk/milk mixture until smooth and combined.  Heat the remaining milk and vanilla bean in a heavy duty saucepan (copper works best, stainless steel also).  Scald milk (just before boiling), then temper the milk mixture into the egg mixture by slowly adding hot milk stirring constantly.  Once all the scalded milk is incorporated, pour mixture back into the sauce pan.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (or heat resistant metal spatula) until the mixture begins to thicken.  Using a stiff whisk, continue to stir constantly until the mixture is very thick, and pulls away from the whisk (or the sides of the pan), about 2-3 minutes.  The key is to allow the starchiness from the flour to cook out, yet at the same time stirring constantly as not to allow the mixture to scorch or overcook the eggs. The mixture will be very thick at this stage.  Remove from the heat, place saucepan in ice bath, add butter and stir constantly until butter is combined.  Set aside and reserve once cooled, removing the vanilla bean from the now cooked custard.

  3.      Prepare the cherry topping.  Place cherries and sugar, with a touch of water, in a saucepan over high heat. Cook until the cherries begin to release their juices.  Keep the mixture on high heat, and as the liquid in the pan (from the cherries and sugar) begins to reveal a syrupy consistency, continue to cook until desired consistency, about 5-10minutes.  Strain the cooked sweet cherries and reserve the liquid.  At this point, you can continue to reduce the liquid by cooking over low heat, allowing the syrup to naturally thicken.  This liquid can be used as a garnish for the tart.

  4.     To assemble the tarts, roll out the pie dough. Butter and flour a tart pan, the size is dependent upon the amount being made.  At any rate, roll out the dough to even thickness, form dough in tart pan. Spoon pastry cream so that the entire base of the tart is covered with the pastry cream, about a ½ thick.  Add cherries on top of the pastry cream. Bake at 375 until the crust begins to brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Use cherry syrup for garnish if desired once the tart is unmolded.  Alternatively, you can by a pre-made tart.  We like to use a tart pan with a fluted edge and a removable bottom for easy unmolding.  Serve warm and enjoy!

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Sweet Cherry Blondies

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Course: Dessert

Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups Flour
• 1 1/3 cups Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract
• 1 cup Northwest Cherries Pitted and Halved
• 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

Instructions

• Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, oil, eggs, and vanilla; mix on low speed of electric mixer until blended. Mix 1 minute on medium speed. Batter will be thick. Spread half of batter in oiled and floured 9-inch baking pan. Toss cherries in small amount of flour. Scatter cherries over batter; spread remaining batter over cherries. Sprinkle pecans over top. Bake at 325°F 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on rack and cut into 16 pieces.

  Chocolate Chip Variation: Sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate chips over batter with pecans.

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Cherry Slab Pie

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Course: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup finely ground almonds 2 oz
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (one stick)
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 cups Cherry Vanilla Pie filling (Recipe under cherry preservation)
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

• 1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2.    In a small bowl combine flour, ground almonds, cinnamon, bakingpowder and salt; set aside

  3.    Cream butter and brown sugar until creamy.

  4.    Beat in egg.

  5.    Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just untilmixture comes together to form a dough.

  6.    Divide the dough in half.

  7.    Place each half in a plastic bag and flatten into a circle.

  8.    Chill for at least an hour.

  9.    Grease the baking pan well with butter or a nonstick bakingspray.

  10.  Remove both pieces of dough from the refrigerator.

  11.  Roll one piece of dough out onto a floured surface into arectangle that will fit into the bottom of the baking pan.

  12.  Press the dough to the edges of the pan with your fingertips.

  13.  Spread the Cherry Vanilla Pie Filling over the crust to ¼ inchfrom the edge.

  14.  Roll out the remaining piece of dough into another rectangleabout the same size as the pan.

  15.  Cut strips of dough and lay over the Cherry Vanilla Pie Fillingto form a crust.

  16.  Beat one egg white with 2 tablespoons water and brush overcrust.

  17.  Sprinkle slivered almonds over the crust.

  18.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over crust.

  19.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or untilthe crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.

  20.  Cool before serving.

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Sweet Cherry Almond Bars

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

Fruit Filling:

• 14 oz pitted Northwest cherries, halved or rough chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Bar Recipe:

• shortbread dough
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter cut in pieces

Topping:

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

• 1.       Set oven to 350F

  2.       Lightly spray an 8x8 baking pan

  3.       Stir together the cherries with the sugar, lemon juice, extract, and cornstarch. Set aside, tossing occasionally to encourage some of the juices to start flowing.

  4.       Put the flour, almond meal, sugar, salt, and baking powder into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.

  5.       Add the yolk, extract, and butter, and pulse or process to combine just until the dough comes together, it will be crumbly.

  6.       Press2/3 of the dough into the bottom of your pan to form the crust. Top with the cherries. Then crumble the remaining dough evenly over the cherries. Top with the sliced almonds and bake for about 40 minutes until the dough is just golden and the filling is bubbling.

  7.       Letcool before cutting.

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