• CRUST
  • 150 gr all purpose flour
  • 40 gr rice flour
  • 100 gr butter
  • 80 gr brown sugar
  • 2 yolks
  • 1/2 lemon grated peel
  • ALMOND PASTE
  • 50 gr flour
  • 100 gr almond meal
  • 60 gr butter
  • 100 gr brown sugar
  • 2 yolks
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 lemon grated peel
  • 2 tbsps fruit liquor
  • 30 cherries
  • 6 raw almonds

During this time of the year, cherries are perfectly ripe in China and they are the protagonist in every outdoor fruit market. After buying a bag of fine almond meal at one the multicolored stands, we figured cherries would be a perfect match to create an excellent dessert.

lll

The Cherry and Almond Pie we baked has a crumbly bottom flavored with lemon, and a sweet, rich filling well balanced by the sour juiciness of the cherries.

These three textures, together with the slightly bitter hint of alcohol, create a harmonious blend of flavors that will delight even the most discerning palates.

PS: If in was Italy, I would have used our version of Kirsh: Maraschino, a cherry liquor that is perfect for this pie.

Being in Asia gave me the chance to discover a new big favorite on my wine list: the Japanese Umeshu, a liqueur made from a fruit called ‘ume‘ (a kind of green plum used when still unripe) soaked in alcohol and sugar. Its sweet, sour taste (with only the 15% of alcohol) makes it a great complement for this dessert.

Shortbread Crust Procedure:

Put flour, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl. Add lemon zest and knead for about a minute. Add the egg yolks all at once and knead until all ingredients are blended and the dough becomes plastic.


– Create a ball with the dough, wrap it in protective film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
– Knead the dough with your hands to make it workable, with a rolling pin pull it to a thickness of 4 or 5 mm and place it into the pan, trimming the edges of dough to 1 cm in size.

– Wash the cherries and cut them in half. Dispose 24 halves on the shortbread crust.

Almond Paste Procedure:

– Cream the butter with the sugar, add egg yolks one at a time, followed by the sifted flour. Beat the egg whites and mix them to the batter, drizzling it with the fruit liquor and  baking powder.

– Pour the final mixture over the crust and spread it carefully.

– Cover the pie with the remaining 36 halves of cherries and sprinkle some almond flakes and half a teaspoon of brown sugar.

– Place the pie in the oven and bake it for about 35 minutes at 175 C degrees.

When the pie is ready, don’t serve it warm. As it gets a little colder the crust gets crispier. As a compliment, serve with a chilled glass of dessert liquor.