Dark Morello Cherry Recipes

CHERRY CRUMB PIE

Steps:

• Stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Grate or shred the cold butter over the flour mixture, stopping occasionally to toss butter with flour mixture. When the whole stick of butter has been added, stir mixture with a fork or use your fingers to make the mixture evenly coarse.
• Add water 1 tablespoon at a time and stir with a heavy duty scraper until dough comes together. Shape into ball. Wrap in plastic and keep chilled until ready to use or use immediately.
• Filling: Separate syrup from cherries and measure out 3/4 cup of the syrup.
• In a large saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the cherry syrup, then set over medium heat. Whisk the mixture until it thickens and becomes translucent. Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and extract, then stir in the drained cherries.
• Pie Assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and put a heavy rimmed baking sheet in the oven. You'll be baking the pie on the hot, preheated cookie sheet (which is supposed to help keep the crust crisp).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12 inch circle. Transfer to a 9 inch round pie tin and crimp edges. Pour filling in the center of the pie.
• Topping: Combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl you used for your pie crust. Add butter and stir until crumbly, then sprinkle over pie filling.
• Set the pie on the hot baking sheet and put it in the oven.
• Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. and bake for 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to make sure your crumb topping isn't browning too quickly. If it is, lay a sheet of foil over it.
• Let the pie cool before serving.

SWEET DARK CHERRY COBBLER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a large saucepan; stir in water until mixture is smooth. Add cherries and butter to sugar mixture and bring to a boil; cook and stir until cherry mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour cherry filling into the prepared baking dish.
• Mix flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir milk into flour mixture until topping is just moistened. Drop topping by spoonfuls over cherry filling; sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over topping.
• Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

MORELLO CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Dissolve sugar in the water over a low heat, add the cherries, cinnamon and lemon zest and bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer until very syrupy (rhis will take about about 20 minutes).
• Remove cherry mix from the heat when syrupy and thick enough.
• Add lemon juice and brandy.
• Allow mix to cool, and keep until ready to serve.
• Serve over your favourite icecream.

MORELLO (SOUR) CHERRY LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Wash and remove the stems from the cherries.
• Place a layer of cherries in a 4-quart jar and cover with a ½ inch layer of sugar.
• Continue layering cherries and sugar in this manner, ending with sugar.
• Add the spices and vodka.
• Seal jar.
• Place in a spot that receives the most sunlight during the day.
• Leave to macerate for 4 weeks.
• Add the brandy.
• Seal tightly and let stand another 2 weeks, shaking every so often.
• Strain into another bottle.
• Discard spices.
• Put cherries back in the bottle.
• Store in a cool, dark place.
• To serve: Pour into your pretties liqueur glass (the liqueur is ruby-red) and add 1-2 cherries to each glass.