Welcome to Mise en Place, a journey of culinary delight where anything can happen. Based on the Colorado Department of Agriculture's list of food by month, KRCC takes a look at farmers, chefs, and fodder, all with a Centennial State bent.
Each month, the state's agriculture department highlights a commodity and provides a recipe using that product. We take it a step further.
This month we pay homage to the cherry. KRCC's Aaron Retka spoke with cherry farmer Glenn Austin of Austin Farms in Paonia, and visited Hopscotch Bakery in Pueblo, and has this month's Mise en Place.
Click below for a cherry tart recipe from Hopscotch Bakery in Pueblo, and a cherry maple muffin recipe from the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Hopscotch Bakery is a business partner of KRCC.
Mary's Rustic Cherry Tarts
Mary Oreskovich, Hopscotch Bakery, Pueblo, CO
Yield: 6-8 tarts
Pastry Dough, rolled into 1/8" thick rounds, 4" in diameter
1 lb. assorted cherries (Rainier, Queen Anne, Bing), pitted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
Pinch of Kosher salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest and juice of one lemon
Egg Wash:
1 yolk plus 1 tbsp. water
Optional: Frangipane
Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a mixing bowl combine cherries, flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, extracts, lemon zest and juice. Macerate for at least 10 minutes.
Spread a tiny bit of Frangipane in the center of each pastry round if desired.
Mound fruit mixture in the center of each pastry, leaving at least a 1/2" border.
Roll up border of pastry onto fruit, without completely covering it.
Complete each tart, then brush edges with egg wash and dust with sugar.
Place in the oven and bake until fruit is bubbly and tarts are golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Recipe from the Colorado Department of Agriculture:
Colorado Cherry Maple Muffins
Chef Jason K. Morse, C.E.C., Valley Country Club, Aurora, Colo.
ACF Colorado Chefs Association President
2 1/2 cups Fresh Cherries, pitted and sliced
1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 3/4 cups Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Almonds, toasted and chopped
1 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 tsp. Maple Extract
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1 Egg
1 1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Paste or Extract
Preheat oven to 375°F.
With a fork or pastry cutter, work some of the flour (1 cup all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat), brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until crumbled or mealy. Stir in the toasted almonds then divide the mixture in half. Use the first half as a streusel topping for the muffins.
Into the remaining half of the crumb mixture stir in the baking soda, spice, maple extract and salt until well mixed. Add the egg, sour cream and vanilla and mix until fully combined and smooth. Add the remaining 1/4 cup whole wheat flour and stir until just combined then gently fold in the cherries.
Place into muffin tins lined with paper. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the tops of the muffins.
Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Should the muffins start to darken too fast, cover with foil to avoid burning. Cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
