RUSTIC CHERRY TART: National Cherry Dessert Day

Today is National Cherry Dessert Day! I love Chukar's Cherry Pie Filling  - both the sweet and the sour - and I use both a lot when I don't have fresh cherries. Here's a recipe from Chukar Cherries that is just fabulous! This recipe uses the Sweet Cherry Pie Filling. This is perfect for Memorial Day, too!

RUSTIC CHERRY TART

Ingredients 
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cane sugar
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup very cold water
1 egg beaten
2 Tbsp large sugar crystals (course sugar)
Sweet Cherry Pie Filling

Directions 
Combine dry ingredients and cut-in cold butter using pastry hand blender. Add a few tablespoons of icy water (just enough to bind dough) and refrigerate for several hours, covered.
Divide dough into 12 equal parts.
On floured surface, roll pastry dough into 7-inch diameter circles and spoon cherry filling into center. Gather the edges of the dough toward center and pinch edges.
Brush pastry edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar crystals.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until centers are bubbly and crusts are golden.

HINT: Pastry works best when all ingredients and utensils are very cold. Yields twelve 3-inch tarts.

RUSTIC CHERRY TART: National Cherry Dessert Day!

Photo: Chukar Cherries

Today is National Cherry Dessert Day! I love Chukar's Cherry Pie Filling  - both the sweet and the sour - and I use both a lot when I don't have fresh cherries. Here's a recipe from the Chukar Cherries site that is just fabulous! This recipe uses the Sweet Cherry Pie Filling.

RUSTIC CHERRY TART

Ingredients 
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cane sugar
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup very cold water
1 egg beaten
2 Tbsp large sugar crystals (course sugar)
Sweet Cherry Pie Filling

Directions 
Combine dry ingredients and cut-in cold butter using pastry hand blender. Add a few tablespoons of icy water (just enough to bind dough) and refrigerate for several hours, covered.
Divide dough into 12 equal parts.
On floured surface, roll pastry dough into 7-inch diameter circles and spoon cherry filling into center. Gather the edges of the dough toward center and pinch edges.
Brush pastry edges with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar crystals.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until centers are bubbly and crusts are golden.

HINT: Pastry works best when all ingredients and utensils are very cold. Yields twelve 3-inch tarts.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY WINE COOKIES: National Wine Day & National Cherry Dessert Day

Today is National Wine Day and tomorrow is National Cherry Dessert Day. Celebrate both holidays by making these easy Double Chocolate Wine Cherry Cookies? I always have dried cherries on hand (they keep well in the refrigerator). What could be better than chocolate, cherries, and wine! This is a recipe adapted from one I found on the Foodnetwork.com. It will also be a huge hit at your Memorial Day BBQ, so bookmark this page. As always, use the very best chocolate!

Double Chocolate Cherry Wine Cookies
 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup good quality dark cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dry red wine, Zinfandel (I've used Pinot and Merlot)
10 ounces dark chocolate (65-75% cacao--the best you can find), chopped in small chunks or dark chocolate chips
1 - 1/4 cup dried tart cherries (unsweetened are more tart but use what you have)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in bowl.
In bowl of electric mixer, or with a handheld mixer, combine butter and sugars until fluffy.
Add egg, vanilla, and wine, and combine.
Slowly in batches, add flour mixture until just combined.
Fold in chocolate and cherries.
On nonstick cookie sheet, place heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie about 2 inches apart.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until tops are still soft looking but edges look firm.
Cool on sheet for 5-8 minutes.