Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an
Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
Life can be a bowl of cherries sometimes, especially when life actually gives you a big bowl of cherries! Our ten-year old cherry tree at the bottom of the garden has given us lots of cherries this year, but, not as many as our neighbour’s tree, where we were able to pick them at liberty to our heart’s content. We picked about 5 to 6 kilos in total, so watch out for several more cherry related posts along with some new recipes over the next few weeks. I have jammed them, preserved them in liquor, made ice cream, made tray bakes and then I just had to make a PIE with the cherries that were left over after all that frenetic cooking and baking was completed. The words “Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie” drips with nostalgia and memories, as well they might drip with a goodly dollop of custard or cream if served before you; the word pie also has a VERY high place in my vocabulary as I am a bit of a pie addict. And as for cherries, well, they were put on this earth to bring smiles to our faces and tongues, in my humble pie opinion. And what about old-fashioned? Well yes, despite my yearnings for modernity and all the trappings of 21st century life, I am a bit of an old-fashioned kinda gal on the quiet, and I love a BIG slice of old-fashioned pie now and then.
Bowl of Cherries
So, where do the Red Russian Dolls fit into all of this pure nostalgia you may ask? Well, ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted one of those clever little sets of “nesting Russian dolls”. They fascinated me and I hankered after a set for many years……..as it was, I never got any Russian dolls and when I was older and I could have bought myself a set, somehow other more “desirable” items took their place, such as boots, shoes, clothes, holidays and night’s out! However, my patience has finally paid off as just a couple of months ago I was asked to choose some items from the very funky (is that word still around, or am I showing my age again?) site, Red Candy in order to review them. I was given a budget, and went shopping on their site immediately! Imagine my delight when I saw a set of RED Russian Dolls posing as measuring cups on their site! I just had to have them of course…..for nostalgia as well as practicability.
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
There may only be TWO dolls in this set, but they open up to reveal FOUR measuring cups for US cups, Metric and Imperial measurements, which is a bit of a coup, as I struggle when trying to covert recipes from outside the UK and Europe sometimes…….
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
……and with a little bit of my budget left over, I had enough “dosh” to invest in some good quality tea towels too, along with a pair of red (reading) spectacles from a well-know discount supermarket!
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
But let’s get back to the matter in hand, PIE. There is something very elemental about a good old-fashioned fruit pie; apple pie, blackcurrant pie, peach pie or a gooseberry pie maybe, but nothing quite beats a fresh cherry pie when cherries are in season. The recipe that I am sharing today is a simple one – the pie is made with a basic shortcrust pastry that is NOT egg enriched, as we prefer the light shortness that this type of “egg-free” pastry gives. The cherries can be pre-cooked, but I find that that makes for a rather “soggy bottom”, which none of us want! Another little tip that I have included in my recipe is to spread some cherry jam over the pastry case bottom, it stops the juice seeping into the pastry case and thus stops even more soggy bottoms! My last tip for a crispy finish, is the brush egg whites over the lattice-work and then to sprinkle caster sugar over the top. This pie maybe simple with no extra “bells or whistles”, but why over gild the lily when all that is needed to sing in this dish, are the cherries and light home-made short crust pastry.
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
The lattice topped pastry lid is two-fold – it allows the steam to escape whilst the pie is baking, whilst making it look very attractive to serve with the glossy red pie filling peeping through the gaps. I always keep back enough pastry to cover the pie crust edge, as you can see in the photo above, as well as crimp it with the edge of a pastry cutter (wheel) – that’s what gives the edge of the pie that rather pretty pattern. I like a wide lattice-work strip, again, that gives the pie that old-fashioned look, I think!
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
There is only one plate to serve my cherry pie on, and that is one of my vintage French Sarreguemines cherry plates, as seen in the photo below – one HAS to serve a slice of cherry pie in the correct manner, don’t you think?
vintage French Sarreguemines cherry plate
Avec une tranche de tarte……
vintage French Sarreguemines cherry plate avec pie!
But enough gassing about plates and pies for now, the recipe for this DIVINE pie is shared below, with the recipe for my basic short crust pastry too, and I hope that whatever life throws at you this weekend, you will always have a bowl of cherries! Have a GREAT weekend, I will be back later with more recipes and my latest news, see you then, Karen
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
Disclaimer: I was given a budget to spend on any items that took my fancy over at Red Candy; I was not required to write a review on my blog and all views are my own. Karen S Burns-Booth
Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie
Print recipe
| Serves | 6 to 8 slices |
| Prep time | 25 minutes |
| Cook time | 35 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hour |
| Allergy | Egg, Wheat |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Dessert, Snack |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Thanksgiving, Valentines day |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 1 x 225g (8 ozs) basic shortcrust pastry
- 900g (2lbs) fresh cherries, pitted
- 100g caster sugar, plus extra for egg white glaze
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot, mixed with a little water (no more than 1 tablespoon water)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cherry jam
- 1 small egg white, beaten
Note
A delicious old-fashioned cherry pie that has an attractive lattice work topping with an egg white sugar glaze to make it extra crisp! This delectable cherry pie is perfect for any occasion, whether it be a formal dinner party or a family picnic, and it is just as delicious when served cold. Serve with cream, custard, ice cream, crème fraîche or just by itself for a slice of summer. Frozen and tinned cherries can also be used out of cherry season.
Directions
| Step 1 | Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Mix the cherries with the arrowroot and water and then add the sugar, mix well again. |
| Step 2 | Grease a 23cms (9" to 10") pie tin or plate with a little butter. Divide the pastry into 2/3 and 1/3, and then roll the 2/3 pastry with a rolling pin on a floured board, until it is of an even thickness and will line the base the of the pie tin or plate.Gently pick the pastry up with the aid of the rolling pin and line the pie tin/plate, easing the pastry in so it fits. Trim the pastry overhang off around the rim of the tin/plate. Spoon the jam into the pastry case and gently spread it all over. |
| Step 3 | Pile the cherry mixture into the pie tin/plate, and then roll out the remaining 1/3 of pastry. Cut the pastry into fairly wide strips with a fluted pastry (or pasta) cutter and weave into a lattice pattern over the top of the cherry filling. Dampen the edges of the bottom pastry before pressing the lattice strips down to form a seal and a crust, then trim them. (You can also add a strip of pastry around the edge to cover the lattice work crust, as I have done in the pie that is shown in the photos) |
| Step 4 | Brush the beaten egg white over the lattice strips and then sprinkle with a little caster sugar. Place the pie in the oven on a pre-heated oven tray or sheet, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp and golden brown and the cherry filling it bubbling gently. |
| Step 5 | Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes before serving with cream, custard, ice cream or just by itself! |
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
Basic Shortcrust Pastry
| Serves | 340g (12 ounces) |
| Prep time | 45 minutes |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Appetizer, Lunch, Main Dish, Side Dish, Snack |
| Misc | Freezable, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold, Serve Hot |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 340g SR flour (12 ozs)
- 160g butter (6 ozs)
- cold water (to mix, about 30ml)
- pinch of salt
Note
Basic Shortcrust Pastry - my mum's recipe for shortcrust pastry which uses SR flour and not plain flour for a lovely light texture!
Directions
| Step 1 | Mix flour and salt in basin, rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. |
| Step 2 | Using a knife to cut and stir, mix with cold water to form a stiff dough. Do not over mix, light of hand is best. Allow pastry dough to chill and "relax" for 30 minutes, in a fridge or a cool place, cover the bowl or put the pastry in some cling film. |
| Step 3 | Turn dough on to a floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out and use as required. |
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
As this pie is made with fresh cherries, I am entering it into Tea Time Treats, a monthly challenge that I host with Kate – this month’s them is FRESH FRUIT.
Red Russian Dolls, A Bowl of Cherries and an Old-Fashioned Cherry Pie Recipe
Katharine says
A simply beautiful pie Karen! As you say, when something is as good as this, why mess around? I could eat several slices of this straight out of the oven and I bet it’s perfect for late night fridge raiding too. Great measuring cups, love that they’ve got the measurements written inside as well – pretty and practical.
Karen says
Thanks Katharine, I agree, the cups are pretty but practical, and they just slot back into each other for easy storage too, although I have them out on show in my kitchen. As for the pie, I am in cherry pie heaven! Karen
Dominic says
such beautiful and precise lattice work Karen, go to the top of the class!… really lovely old-fashioned recipe. I adore cherry pie and wish I could have a slice of this beauty right now. Such a shame to have not been able to join you and Lucy too, would have been a proper laugh i’m sure!… very pretty Russian Dolls too, I have some white ones and a russian doll timer too which I use all the time… lovely summery post xx
Karen says
We DID miss you so much Dom and as you know, we talked about you too, in the nicest possible way of course! I loved doing the lattice work on this pie, as I was in the kitchen alone with plenty of “me” time, so had time to weave the pastry! Gotta love SUMMER! Karen
Ash- foodfashionparty says
Beautiful pie with lovely cherries. The russian doll measuring cups are so gorgeous.
Dina says
I love cherry pie. yours looks delish!
Kumar's Kitchen says
with this vibrant & cheery pie life certainly seems like a cherry on top,such a burst of red,awesome…dolls made us remember our childhood,we had the one pictured holding a basket full of cherries 🙂
Pebblesoup says
I love the lattice work and these Russian dolls are great fun. Our neighbourg has a cherry tree but the cherries taste horrid, so I will have to make do with your gorgeous pictures.
Denise says
Been in a bit of a pie mood myself lately but this cherry lattice topped pie takes the cake. It looks so so so good!
Leigh says
Your pie looks so perfect I just want to dive right in!
Thomas says
Beautiful looking pie! It looks like a delicious classical pie from the movies! Hmm! Can’ twait to try this out.
Zoe says
I’ve never tried making my own cherry pie, but this one might be my first!
Maya Russell says
The lattice pattern on the pie makes it look very nice. We had a good glut of cherries this year but they were eaten before a pie, I could make!
Amanda Carter says
This looks delicious, i can’t wait to bake it
Sisley Ella says
I can not wait to make this. I love cherries and I love pie. Yum indeed.
ursula hunt says
Looks delicious, I love Cherry pie, very reminiscent of my childhood and Mum’s pie
ursula hunt says
Enticing and beautiful photos
Maya Russell says
I also like the French cherry plate.
ursula hunt says
Gorgeous pie
Amanda Milton says
Cherry Pie is my absolute favourite,lovely with some clotted cream
Jo Hutchinson says
a perfect looking pie
Emad Nadim says
Yumms!
Nell says
That looks simply delicious. Cherry pie is definitely my all time favourite fruit pie, I am very envious of your cherry tree, fresh cherries from the garden sounds amazing! My mum has a cherry tree but hardly ever manages to beat the birds to them!
Jadea says
Warm cherry pie…with double cream AND Cart D’or cinnamon caramel waffle ice cream…is perfection. This one looks lovely.
ursula hunt says
I love the lattice work on the top of this pie,it is very professional
Barbara Ann Steward says
Must bake this and get a tub of naughty cream. The ‘red’ comments are manna to the senses, little dolls, cherries and cloth.
Karen Burns-Booth says
It is a GREAT cherry pie Barbara!
Kathy Parathyras says
Hi Karen, I came upon this older post and I would love to try the cherry pie. Do you use sour cherries or sweet cherries in this recipe. Sweet Bing cherries are plentiful in the warmer months, but sour cherries, not so much.
Thanks in advance.
Kathy
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Kathy, I used sweet cherries when I made this pie, hope that helps? Karen
Kathy A Parathyras says
Thanks, Karen. Can’t wait to try it. I have a bag of frozen sweet cherries in my freezer.
Kathy
Karen Burns-Booth says
That’s fab! Let me know how the pie turns out 🙂 Karen