Sour Cherry Cobbler

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."

...which might include — for the 4th of July — a Sour Cherry Cobbler from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Mmmm....

I only noticed tart cherries at the farmer's market recently, but I hestitated to buy them because I didn't want them to sit around going bad while I delayed finding a recipe to use them in. This time, seduced by their bright red color, I snatched some up before they were gone for the season. I thought about making a pie, but this cobbler tempted me. I've tried several recipes from Martha's baking cookbook and have been very very happy with them, so the cobbler it was. In this one, neon-bright sour cherries delight the tastebuds with bursts of sweet-and-sour, made even more delicious with just a hint of balsamic vinegar.

Sour Cherry Cobbler with Lattice Top
Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

3 1/4 lb. sour cherries, stemmed and pitted (do not use sweet varieties)
1 to 1 1/4 C granulated sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
All-purpose flour for dusting
Pâte Brisée (recipe below)
1 large egg yolk
1 Tablespoon cream (if you don't have cream, milk will work)
Sanding sugar (if you don't have it, then regular sugar will work)
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving (optional)

Line baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a bowl, combine granulated sugar and cornstarch, then add in cherries, vinegar and salt. Pour into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Set aside.

Lattice: the below directions are straight from the book and will make a very precise lattice, though I'm still trying to figure out how her longest strips at 13 inches will span the 18-inch dish she claims to have used. As you can see from my photo, I used a 2 quart oval dish (with about 3.5 lb of cherries) and was rather carefree in my lattice making. I also twisted excess dough strips and tucked them along the edges of the cobbler. I'd make my lattice strips a bit thinner next time.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an 18 x 13 inch rectangle at least 1/8 inch thick. Trim to 17 by 12 inches. Cut lengthwise into 3/4 inch strips. Trim 5 strips to 13 inches in length. Cut remaining strips in half crosswise to form 8 1.2 inch strips. Lay the five long strips lengthwise over the tops of the cherries. Use the 8 1/2 inch strips to weave a lattice. (Alternatively, weave lattice on a baking sheet and freeze for 5 minutes. Slide off baking sheet over the fruit.) Press ends of dough strips into the filling.

Freeze cobbler until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F with rack in the center.

Remove cobbler from freezer and put on prepared baking sheet. Whisk together egg yolk and cream (or milk). Brush lattice top with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar (or regular sugar). Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling. 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with optional vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Kitchen Chick notes: the cobbler came out rather liquid-y. I wonder of the long cooking time was too long for the cornstarch to hold up. It was still delicious and made a wonderful cherry-flavored syrup. But for a thicker filling I'm thinking about trying arrowroot starch or even flour (flour will make an opaque sauce, but maybe its thickening power will hold up to the cooking time).

Pâte Brisée
Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/4 C ice water

In a food processor bowl, combine flour and salt. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (Or by hand: mix dry ingredients, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With processor running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together. If it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water 1 tablespoon at a time.

For cobbler: Turn out on table and shape into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month.

For pie with top crust and bottom crust: Turn out on table and divide in half. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month.

For my US readers: have a fabulous 4th of July! For those outside the US: have a fabulous 4th of July anyway, even if it isn't a holiday where you are! (That quote at the top is from the US's Declaration of Independence, a reminder of the ideals we're supposed to be living up to...)

Comments

[LizT]

I got to eat some of this amazing dessert, and can I just say, it was the best homemade dessert I've ever had in my entire 30some years.

If you enjoy cooking, you really should make this one and wow your friends.

[Kate]

OMG, that looks delicious! I was seriously bummed when most of the sour cherry u-pick places were not open this year due to freezes. However, I did pick a few quarts of both red and black currants and will be experimenting with currant-custard tart and some jellies.

[Kitchen Chick]

Kate: what a bummer! Whenever I miss a particular u-pick fruit in a given year, I look forward to it even more the next year. So fingers crossed that next year's sour cherry crop will be better!

[Tricia]

Inspired by your post, I picked up some sour cherries this week, and am trying to decide whether or not to try this recipe. But here's what has me confused - what's with the latticey pie crust on a "cobbler"? I thought the whole point of the cobbler genre was to avoid all the work of a pie?? Does Martha have anything to say about this choice of name?

[Kitchen Chick]

Tricia: I agree that the lattice crust seems odd on a "cobbler", but that's what Martha called it. Maybe she didn't want to call it a "pie" because there is no side/bottom crust.

[Nan]

This sounds great but along the same "great" line is Martha's recipe for Sour Cherry Slab Pie which I found on her website and printed. I have made it several times and now with a new batch of sour cherries from the tree outside my kitchen window, will make it again! Can't wait to try this cobbler as recommended by YOU!

[Kitchen Chick]

Hi Nan: I'd love to hear if these two Martha recipes are the same dessert packaged up two different ways or if they are different, and if so, which is better.

[Tricia]

By the way, I ended up making "chocolate cherry purses" with sour cherries last year. Yum (and easy, too!)

http://jonskifarms.wordpress.com/2007/07/24/chocolate-cherry-purses/

and then I made a cherry nut crumble, using the cherry filling you have here with a crumble topping from a Moosewood cookbook. Also yum. Is it almost time for cherries? I'm getting hungry...

[M Hill]

Thanks for the great recipe- looked all over the web for just the right thing to do with the fresh tart cherries from the farmers market. The solution to the watery pie- it wasn't cooked long enough. My first pie was watery. I cooked the second pie for an extra 15 minutes and the luscious cherry goo set up perfectly. Make sure you have an oven thermometer. If you are much above 400 deg- your crust will finish before the cherries set up. Also, put a 2" rim of foil around the edges to keep them from burning.

Thanks again for the recipe.