Alison Holst’s Cherry Pies

The Best of Alison Holst should be in every kitchen. Here, we sample one of the recipes: delicious Cherry Pies.

Looking for a particular recipe? With 1000 of her very best recipes, Holst’s new book, The Best of Alison Holst, has something for every meal and occasion, from breakfast, lunch and snacks to dinner and desserts. There are starters, sides, soups, salads, sauces and dressings, vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, breads, baking, confectionary, preserves for the store cupboard – and more. There are menus for the microwave and there are also superb tips on food preparation, cooking techniques and ways to store food. The back blurb says, “If you have no other cookbook in your kitchen, this best-selling cookbook is a must.” We’d have to agree.

Recipe extracted with permission from The Best of Alison Holst by Alison Holst, published by New Holland, $49.99.

Cherry Pies

Use imported bottled cherries to make delicious small pies or tarts, varying the
sugar with the tartness of the fruit.

For 4–6 servings:

1–1 ½ cups (200 g) sour cherries
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup hot water
4 sheets filo pastry
2 tbsp melted butter

Drain juice from bottled cherries. Combine ¼ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornflour, 1 tsp cinnamon with ½ cup juice. Heat until thick, then stir in cooked fruit.

Lay two sheets of pastry on a dry surface. Working fast, brush sheets lightly with butter. Cover each with remaining sheet of pastry. Cut into squares big enough to fit patty tins, muffin tins, small pie plates or ramekins. Press two (doubled) squares into each container, so corners do not overlap. Prick bottoms.

Bake at 180°C for 5–10 minutes or until evenly browned. Remove from tins. Just before serving, fill each cooked filo case with a spoonful of warm pie filling. Dredge with icing sugar.

Variations:

Replace water with white wine. Add 2–3 teaspoon Kirsch or other liqueur to thickened filling.