Ahh welcome! Today you find me making an ornamental cherry pie, suitable for a late summer dinner.
For this recipe, you will need...
Mary-Ann has already made a sweet shortcrust paste
and then put it in the oven until it's almost cooked through
If you are going to do this, you need to make sure that before you put it in the oven
you need to line it with brown paper, and then fill it full of flour.
That should stop the pastry from bubbling or from slipping
I'm now going to cream together my butter and sugar.
I'm using a brown bread biscuit paste, based on a sponge cake mix.
But using wholewheat flour.
You could use a savoy mix, or one for a fat-less sponge.
I'm now going to add my egg yolks.
I don't often use wholewheat flour.
But the nutty taste will go really well with cherries.
Wholewheat flour has become very popular with those who believe it's good for them
and I have read that it is better for you because of the wheat germ.
Usual white flour has been milled longer, and the wheat germ removed.
Mind you, wholewheat flour doesn't last as long because of the wheat germ.
I'm now going to whisk my eggs until they form peaks.
And add them, not forgetting the cinnamon.
I'm now going to layer my biscuit paste, with my cherries.
Silvia has de-stoned these cherries,
which have come from The Kitchen Garden.
Mr Vert, the gardener, tells me that cherries are an ancient fruit,
and probably native to England.
There are many different varieties,
so we can have cherries, from May, through to the Autumn.
We have two types of cherries,
sweet ones, and cooking ones,
which we call morello.
Morellos are my favourite,
I think their taste is more superior.
I think cherries are wonderful.
They can be used as ornaments,
put in pies,
or preserved...
in brandy! Or crystallized
Now, I'm going to put this in a moderate oven, for somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half.
And then, just before it's finished, I shall put this last bit of biscuit paste over the top,
and sprinkle it full of sugar, so it forms a nice crust, on the top.
Now that I've let it cool, I'm going to decorate it.
This dish will be served after the second course, but before the desert course,
as a sweet entremet.
I think I'm going to add cherries,
and I'm going to serve it with a jug of custard.
There we are, cherry pie.