Scarlett WCrostata Di Ciliege (Cherry Pie)
September 25th 2008 06:40
Crostata Di Ciliege (Cherry Pie)
About Crostata
A crostata is an Italian baked dessert tart, and a form of pie. It is traditionally prepared by folding the edges of the dough over the top of the fruit filling, creating a more “rough” look, rather than a uniform, circular shape. The fruit can be anything from apple to mixed berry to peaches.
About Kirsch
Kirschwasser, German for “cherry water”, often known simply as Kirsch (from German “kirsche” for “cherry”) in the English-speaking world, is a clear brandy made from double distillation of the fermented juice of a small black cherry. It is colourless because either it is not aged in wood or it is aged in barrels made of ash. The cherries used recently can be either sweet or sour, but in the past the sour morello cherry was used with the pit crushed down. As the morello cherry was originally grown all around the Black Forest in southern Germany, the drink is believed to have originated there.
Clear alcoholic beverages made from distilled fruit juices are common in southern Germany, western Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. In addition to Kirschwasser, typical drinks of this sort include Obstler (“fruity”, distilled from apple, or a mixture of apple and pear), Zwetschgenwasser (“plum water”) and Himbeergeist (“raspberry spirit”, made from grain spirit with unfermented raspberries added later, as fermented raspberries do not produce a good spirit). Such spirits are also distilled in France and French-speaking Switzerland, where they are known as eau de vie (“water of life”, the same term that is the root of the words akvait and whisky).
Kirschwasser is sometimes drunk by itself. Traditionally, it is served cold in a very small glass and taken as an apéritif. However, people in the German-speaking regions where Kirschwasser originates would more usually serve it after dinner, and high-quality Kirschwasser would more likely be served at room temperature or warmed by the hands, like other brandies.
“Kirsch” is an essential ingredient in Swiss chees fondue recipes. It is also used in traditional German Schwärzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest gateau) that is believed to have originated from the 16th century.
Kirsch is also used in some recipes, for example in Kugelhopf, Black Forest and Black Russian Cakes.
Kirsch can also be found as filling for chocolate products. A typical piece of kirsch chocolate will consist of no more than 1 ml of Kirsch, surrounded by milk chocolate, with a film of hardened sugar between the two. The sugar acts as a stronger casing for the liquid contents than the usually soft chocolate, it also compensates for the lack of sweetness typical of Kirsch. Swiss chocolatiers Lindt and Camille Bloch, among others, have such a product.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6
1½ lb ripe cherries
2 lemons, juice
⅔ cup granulated sugar
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 quantity Sweet plain pastry
1 cup cherry jam
2 teaspoons Kirsch (Cherry liqueur)
⅔ cup butter
For Sweet plain pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 – 2 lemons, grated zest (optional)
½ cup butter, chopped
2 egg yolks
For the pan
butter, as needed
flour, as needed
1. Rinse the cherries under cold running water, dry well, and pit them.
2. Place in a bowl with the lemon juice, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Stir gently and leave to stand for 2 hours.
3. To prepare the pastry, combine the flour with the sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest, if using.
4. Add the butter and work it in with your fingertips until the mixture is fine and crumbly – the same texture as bread crumbs.
5. Transfer to a clean work surface and shape into a mound. Make a well in the center, add the egg yolks, and work them into the flour.
6. Knead the pastry briefly until it is smooth and elastic. Do not knead for too long, as this will make it though and chewy. Wrap in foil and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Preheated oven at 375ºF.
8. Put the cherry jam in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan with the liqueur and butter. Simmer for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
9. Break off two-thirds of the pastry dough and roll it out so that it is large enough to line a fairly shallow 10-inch pie pan (grease with butter and flour).
10. Leave a narrow border of the pastry hanging over the sides.
11. Spread the cherry jam mixture over the bottom of the pastry and cover with the well-drained cherries.
12. Roll out the remaining pastry into a square sheet.
13. Use a fluted pastry wheel to cut it into ½-inch wide strips.
14. Place these over the Cherries in a lattice pattern.
15. Fold the overhanging pastry border over the ends of the lattice to form a rolled edge.
16. Bake for 40 minutes.
17. Serve warm.
**From “The Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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