When we started baking through The Sweet Melissa Baking Book several weeks ago, this recipe was the one that jumped out at me the most. I was hoping to pick it when it was my turn, but Michelle of Flourchild beat me to it!!! Needless to say, I couldn't wait to make it.
I had some concerns about the cherries - all I could find was frozen sweet cherries. Other people seemed to have the same experience, however, and commented that theirs had turned out great, so I forged ahead!
I made quite a few changes to this recipe:
Crust:
I didn't use Melissa's flaky crust recipe as suggested, or any of her crust recipes for that matter. I don't use shortening, so I just stuck with my tried and true crust recipe from Heaven's Banquet by Miriam Hospodar.
Filling:
The recipe called for sour cherries, but as I couldn't find any - canned, jarred or otherwise - I used frozen sweet cherries. I also omitted the sugar altogether. I figured the cherries would be sweet enough, and without sugar my 2 1/2 year old - who has never had sugar - would be able to eat it.
Topping:
I left the sugar out of the topping as well, but replaced it with maple syrup. I added it to taste, so I'm not sure how much I used, but my guess is ht it was about 1/4 cup, maybe a little less. Also, I substituted cardamom for cinnamon in the topping. I thought it would pair better with the pistachios, and I loooooove cardamom.
I was slightly disappointed, because when my pie came out of the oven it was very liquidy - even after cooling completely - and this made the bottom of the crust soggy. The crust was very nicely browned, and the topping was quite dark in places, so I was afraid to leave it in any longer, though I think that would have solved the runny problem. Other than that I did love it. My crust was great, the flavor of the cherries was great, and the topping was insanely delicious. As I was eating it, all I could think of was all of the other things I could make as an excuse to eat this topping again. It was that good.
***UPDATE***
I popped my pie back in the oven for another 40!!! minutes, and it came out perfect!
I bet the maple syrup in the topping was amazing!
ReplyDeleteGreat looking pie. Your the second person that said I beat them to it! Im glad it was a hit with several people. I hope to make it again soon!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you when it comes to cardamom! Thanks for the idea, I will change the crumble topping accordingly. Glad you enjoyed the pie.
ReplyDeleteMaple syrup and cardamom, what a delicious combination. I thought of using almonds instead of pistachios and somehow incorporating cocoa powder into the recipe. Hat's off to you for keeping your 2 1/2 year old off of sugar.
ReplyDeleteYour pie looks terrific! I bet it was awesome with maple syrup!
ReplyDeleteYour pie looks awesome! It was so smart of you to use your own crust recipe; Melissa's was quite bland. And I love the use of maple in your crumble topping! Wonder if more cornstarch would've helped the liquidiness of the filling? Glad you enjoyed this; I did, too!! Sorry I've been away for the past week; I had a good friend in town and wasn't able to do much on the computer. I'm back now, though :)
ReplyDelete