A no-fail cherry pie almost guarantees a happy holiday.The Globe and Mail
Adding cream cheese to the dough makes it extra flaky and adds tanginess. The dough is very easy to work with. I use red cherries, but you can use white cherries. If you prefer the hard-to-find sour ones, you'll need both extra sugar and extra tapioca flour. If you don't have a cherry pitter, then cut the fruits in half and squeeze out the pits. Serve with ice cream.
Servings: 8
Croustade pastry
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in one-inch pieces
1/2 cup cold cream cheese, cut in one-inch pieces
1 tsp grated lime rind
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp lime juice
Filling
2 lbs (1 kg) Bing or sweet cherries, pitted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp tapioca flour or corn starch
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp lime zest
Egg wash
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp cream
Garnish
1 tbsp icing sugar
Method
Combine the flour, butter, cream cheese, lime rind and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is the size of peas – about 10 to 15 pulses. Add the lime juice and pulse a few more times, until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Do not let the mixture form a ball, as it will make a tough pastry. Turn out onto a floured board and gently press pastry together into a disc.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the cherries, sugar, tapioca flour, lime juice, vanilla, ginger and lime zest. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the cherries to release some juices.
Roll out the pastry on a floured board with a floured pin into a 15-inch circle. Don’t worry about making it a perfect circle. Wrap the pastry around a floured rolling pin and transfer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mound the cherry filling into the centre and drizzle over any remaining juices, leaving a two-inch border of pastry. Fold the outer edges of pastry up over the filling, creating overlapping folds all the way around. The pastry should not touch the middle – there will be an opening over the filling.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Place in the lower third of the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is slightly golden. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake 25 to 30 more minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and juices are bubbling in the centre. Cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve.