Rainier Cherry Turnovers

  

I love cherries. I particularly love Rainier cherries. Truth be told, I could eat my weight in them. Besides, just eating them as is, this season I decided that I was going to do something different. I decided that I was going to cook them down and turn them into a filling for a cherry turnover. This worked spectacularly. I made enough filling to make eight turnovers (two sheets of puff pastry), but instead just decided to make four and save the rest of the filling to warm and pour over vanilla ice cream. I am in cherry heaven!

Rainier Cherry Turnovers

Turnovers:

1 lb. Melissa’s Rainier cherries, rinsed and pitted

¼ c. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

1 pkg. puff pastry (2 sheets)

  Egg Wash:

 1 large egg

1 T. water

Glaze:

¾ c. powdered sugar

1-2 T. milk

 Place cherries, sugar, and salt into a medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, mashing down cherries as they begin to soften. (I used an avocado masher.) Stir in cornstarch, and cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter; set aside.

Place a Silpat or parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. Lay the puff pastry sheet(s) on top of the Silpat or parchment paper and, using a pizza cutter, cut each sheet pastry into 4 squares.  Place approximately 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of each square (I used a cookie scoop for this).

Whisk together egg and water to make egg wash, and brush each edge so that it will form a nice seal. Fold the pastries over, corner to corner, to form a triangle, and use a fork to press the edges closed.

 Brush the remaining egg wash on top of the turnovers.

Bake 375°F for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden. Leave on the baking sheet for about five minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

 Make glaze by combining powdered sugar and milk, whisking until smooth. Drizzle glaze over turnovers. Serve immediately.

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Peach Cobbler

Do you mourn the end of peach season like I do?   Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and I truly hate to see the fresh peach season come to an end.  You can preserve a bit of their freshness, though, in not only making this mouthwatering cobbler to serve to your appreciative family, but also by making up extra batches of the filling to freeze for use during those bleak months of winter.

Peach Cobbler

Filling:

6 large peaches, peeled, quartered, and cut into wedges

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch of cardamom

Topping:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cardamom

9 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water

Preheat oven to 425°F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cardamom, and cornstarch until coated.  Pour into a 2-qt. nonreactive baking dish and bake in middle of the preheated oven 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the work bowl of a food processor, place flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.  Pulse to combine.  Add butter and pulse 8-10 times until mixture resembles coarse meal. With motor running, slowing pour water into mixture via the tube, and mix until just combined.

Remove peaches from oven and drop heaping spoonfuls of topping all over the top. Place dish on a cookie sheet to catch drips and bake in the middle of oven until topping is golden, about 25 minutes. (Topping will spread as it bakes.)

Allow to cool on wire rack.  Serve topped with ice cream, whipped cream, a dollop of peach yogurt, or eat directly from pan with large spoon.

To Freeze Filling:
Mix together filling ingredients (DO NOT BAKE!), pour into a gallon-size plastic freezer bag and freeze.  Remove from freezer to the fridge the day prior to desired use.  Continue as directed.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Be Inspired Friday

Foodie Friday

Fresh Bing Cherry Sauce

My mother used to make a delicious Bing cherry sauce that she served at Christmas brunch atop her incredible cheese blintzes. I don't know how she did it, and she wasn't talking. It's not that she had intended to keep the recipe a secret; it was more that there was no recipe. She often cooked like her mother, my grandmother, did. A little of this, a handful of that, a pinch of seasoning, all mixed together until it “looked right.” This was one of those recipes. But it's Bing cherry season and all of those fresh, delicious cherries were calling my name, so I decided to give it a try. You know what?  I did it. You know what else?  I think mine is just a little bit better. This sauce is going to be a component in tomorrow's dessert, but it is also excellent on top of ice cream, with a nice slice of ham, dolloped on top of a chicken cutlet, or drizzled over the aforementioned blintzes. Whatever you do, make this sauce!

Fresh Bing Cherry Sauce

3 heaping cups of Melissa’s fresh Bing cherries, pitted

1/3 cup granulated sugar (more to taste)

2-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon Meyer Lemon juice

Few gratings of fresh nutmeg

Place cherries and sugar in a medium size saucepan and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. As the cherries release their juices, break them up a bit with the back of your spoon.  Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, water, and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside. When mixture comes to a boil, add the cornstarch mixture all at once, stirring constantly. Bring mixture back to a low boil and simmer for one more minute. Remove from heat and grate a small amount of nutmeg right into the pan. Stir again to incorporate. Cool. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

This post is linked to:

Sugar and Spice

Sunday Sweeties

Seasonal Sundays