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.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Granola Bars: National Granola Bar Day

National Granola Bar Day. Granola is such a great treat on a hike, in your lunchbox, or a mid-day snack and bars make it so much easier to carry. Here's a great quick recipe for Dark Chocolate Cherry Granola Bars. So easy and delicious.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond  Granola Bars 

Ingredients 
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)
3/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup dried cherries (I like Chukar's Cherries)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9 x 9 inch glass baking dishes with parchment paper. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, dried cherries, slivered almonds, coconut, and chocolate chips together in a bowl.
 In a separate bowl mix butter, honey, and vanilla.
Split mixture into baking dishes and use your hands to pat it into the square of the pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. 
Cool and cut into bars

Chocolate Cherry Cobbler: National Cherry Cobbler Day

Today is National Cherry Cobbler Day and fresh cherries are just starting to hit the market, but I'm posting recipes that use bottled (or canned) pie filling. I posted a recipe for Cherry Chocolate Crumble a few years ago when fresh cherries were abundant. Depending where you live and what you have available, check out that recipe.

However you can make these two Cherry Chocolate Cobblers using natural cherry pie filling. I love Chukar Cherries Sour Cherry Fruit Filling. Fabulous! Whole and tangy Montmorency cherries. Red and delicious!

Try both of the following recipes--they're completely different in taste.

Happy National Cherry Cobbler Day... and as I always say, everything tastes better with Chocolate!

I. CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER

Ingredients
18 ounces Chukar's Sour Cherry Fruit Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Topping
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sweet butter, softened (I use Kerrygold)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix cherries, sugar and flour. Spread evenly into 11 x 7 baking dish.
Sprinkle chocolate over top.

For topping
Mix together flour, sugars and pinch of salt.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over cherry filling.
Bake cobbler until filling bubbles and topping is golden brown.
About 40 to 45 minutes.

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This second recipe is all over the Internet. I've tweaked it a bit. It's easy and delicious. Again, I use Chukar Cherry Pie Filling, but use what you have!

II. CHOCOLATE CHERRY COBBLER  
aka Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sweet butter
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
About 21 ounces Chukar's cherry pie filling
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter. Cut with pastry blender until  crumbs are size of small peas.
In saucepan over saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate. Allow to cool 5 minutes at room temperature.
Add milk and egg to chocolate mixture; mix well.
Blend into flour mixture; mix well.
Spread pie filling in bottom of 2 quart casserole.
Drop chocolate batter randomly over cherries. Sprinkle nuts all over top.
Bake at 350 degrees F 40-45 minutes.