>Sour Cherry Pie Bars

I’ve really come to love this blogging business. The whole researching, experimenting, baking, photographing, writing and blogging process.

But sometimes, after I bake something and sit down to blog about it, I have absolutely no idea what to say.

I just sit there and stare at the screen, with no anecdote or story to tell you about what I have baked.

Why did I make these sour cherry pie bars? Because late one evening, I was sitting on the couch, and sour cherries came to mind. I can’t even remember why.

I jumped on Google to try and figure out what I could make and this recipe, on Smitten Kitchen, caught my eye.

See? This isn’t a very interesting story.

I know that I’ve made little sour cherry pies recently too. Both recipes were born from the same random urge to buy some sour cherries and put them into something baked. And we all love pie.

SOUR CHERRY PIE BARS
Inspired by Martha Stewart, via Smitten Kitchen.

So we don’t have fresh sour cherries in Melbourne. Particularly not at this time of year (that awkwardly cold spring stage). I used sour cherries from a jar and strained them. But please don’t throw the juice away. Drink it. It tastes like compote. Yum.

For the pastry
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
200g cold unsalted butter, cubed (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp)
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
4 tbsp cold water

For the sour cherry filling
2 x 600g jars of sour cherries, drained
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp cornflour
1 egg, to make eggwash

To make the dough, put the flour, sugar, butter and salt in a food processor or electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the egg yolk and cold water. Continue to mix on low until a dough forms. Gather the dough together and form it into a disc. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, get your filling ready.

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a 9×13 inch tin with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the sour cherries, sugar and cornflour. Set aside.

Take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into two equal halves.

On a well floured surface, roll out one half of the dough into a rectangular shape, about 11×15 inches, so it is big enough to line the base and sides of your pan. Gently roll it onto your rolling pin, then unroll the dough into the pan.

Fill the pastry case with the sour cherry filling.

On a well floured surface, roll out the other half of dough into the same shape and size. Roll the pastry up onto your rolling pin, and unroll it over the sour cherry filling.

Fold in the excess pastry from the sides, roughly. Prick the entire top of the pie with a fork.

Beat the egg with a little water and brush it over the top of the pie. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Makes about 15 bars.