Feeding a Crowd: Cherries and Cream Slab Pie

Got a crowd to feed?
Or maybe you just LOVE pie?

Either way, slab pie is where it's at.

I read somewhere that Martha Stewart invented the concept of slab pie. I'm not sure that's true -- but she definitely made the concept popular. And for that, I'm grateful.

Baked on a half-sheet/jelly-roll pan, slab pies can serve 20 or more people and require a little more effort than making one single pie. In fact, for the effort, I'd say slab pie is the way to go every single time... though having that much pie around would definitely be bad for my waistline.

Better yet, if you're a fan of pie crust -- really good flaky pie crust -- slab pies will make you extremely happy, since the filling to crust ratio is perfectly balanced.

This particular version incorporates a traditional sour cherry filling with thin layer of creamy cheesecake. 

The buttery crust is flaky and well behaved. The filling isn't too terribly sweet -- and it's creamy enough that it doesn’t even need the addition of whipped cream or ice cream (a bonus if you're transporting it to an outdoor picnic) – though either would be a welcome addition.  

Got plans for Labor Day weekend?  Get a head start by making this pie!

Get the recipe: Cherries and Cream Slab Pie

©BURP!

Post-Thanksgiving Turkey Panini with Goat Cheese & Cherry Chutney

I promised there would be talk of the sandwiches we made with our delicious Maple Brined Cherrywood Smoked Turkey. And I can't leave you in suspense any longer.  After all, these little morsels were so stellar that you're going to want to try them out for yourself just as soon as you have some of your own Thanksgiving turkey leftovers on hand.

Before we get to the details of the sandwiches themselves, I'm going to take the opportunity to put in a plug for this cherry chutney recipe, which is quickly becoming one of our all-time favorite condiments.

Though it might not be quite as traditional as your usual cranberry sauce, I'm going to challenge you to consider making up a batch to put right out there on your Thanksgiving table.  It's tart and delicious.  And it goes perfectly with turkey. And stuffing.  It's also delicious spread on one of those dinner rolls you're bound to have left over.

Which brings me to the sandwich at hand.  These little beauties make use of leftover dinner rolls, one of the holiday staples that seem to get thrown out more than re-heated.  So, I like to think that these sandwiches are born of thrift.  They're also super fast to throw together, which makes them the perfect dinner for one of those busy weeknights that become inevitable as the holidays draw closer.

Since the goal here is to make you hungry, let me give you a quick glimpse into the sort of sandwich I'm talking about.  Just imagine a crisp, warm panini-pressed sprouted grain dinner roll spread with a liberal amount of fresh goat cheese, dolloped with cherry chutney and topped with delicious smoked turkey and fresh arugula.  Sweet-tart, tangy, smoky, peppery -- all of these flavors come together in glorious harmony as you bite into this crisp little slider.

Reminiscent of the holidays, but definitely more than just a repeat, these delicious snack-sized sandwiches are sure to please. The best part  is that, since they're small, you can even gobble up more than one.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Eat well. Enjoy family and friends.  We'll lift our glasses to you at our holiday table!

Post-Thanksgiving Panini with Goat Cheese & Cherry Chutney

 
©BURP! Where Food Happens

Wisconsin State Fair: Door County Cherry Chutney

I'm actually a little bit giddy as I write this.
This afternoon, we'll be doing a cooking demonstration at the Wisconsin State Fair on behalf of the Wisconsin Cherry Growers Association.  I've actually been wracking my brains for days over what to make, and I've finally decided upon the perfect recipe.

Chutney.

If you're not familiar with chutney, well, I'd encourage you to rush right out and make its acquaintance. Similar in consistency to a jelly, salsa, or relish, chutneys usually embody both sweet and sour flavors.  Originating in India, these condiments can range in flavor from very sweet to quite sour.  They can be mild or spicy, thin or chunky.  And they can be made with fruits, vegetables or both.

Chutneys can be served with meat, poultry, seafood, desserts, and cheeses. Or they can be eaten as a snack, simply served with flatbread or crackers -- which is how we love to eat ours.  One of our favorite snacks has always been a bit of spicy mango chutney spread atop a wedge of whole wheat pita bread.

But, despite my love for the mango, there is nary a more perfect condiment than a chutney made from Montmorency cherries, a light red "sour" cherry most often used for cherry pies, jams and preserves.  After all, the cherries are  fragrantly sweet, tart, plump, and intense in both flavor and color.  They also stay impressively moist and plump, even when dried.  Best of all, tart cherries are seriously good for you.  They contain numerous antioxidants, as well as anthocyanins and bioflavonoids which may help in the relief of pain due to arthritis and gout.

If you're interested in a bit of history, I can tell you that the first Montmorency cherry orchard was planted on the Door County peninsula in Wisconsin in 1858. At the peak of Wisconsin cherry production, right around 1959, Door County actually produced 95% of the tart cherry crop in the U.S..  which contributed to the area becoming known as Cherryland USA.  These days, Door County is still famous for its cherries.

We're in the midst of Door County Cherry season right now, which means this chutney is just perfect seasonal food.  And I'm getting excited to share this amazing recipe.

If you're in the area, please feel free to join us.  We'll be on stage at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion at 12-noon.  And we'd love to see a few smiling familiar faces.

Of course, for those of you who can't make it, we'd be happy to share our recipe!


Door County Cherry Chutney


©BURP! Where Food Happens
Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at DEVOUR Milwaukee, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Celebrate with Us: White Chocolate Ice Cream with Brandied Cherries

When we were nominated for the Shepherd Express Best of the Milwaukee Web Awards, I was somewhat shocked, and completely flattered.  So, when we attended the awards ceremony on Tuesday evening and found out that we'd won in TWO categories (best food blog, favorite twitterer),  I was absolutely taken aback.

Milwaukee might be a relatively small place, but it's a positive hot bed for technology & social media.  So, it was truly humbling to be in the company of so many creative, media-minded individuals.  We've always aspired to making the Burp! blog a creative, friendly place -- not only where we share what WE do, but also where our readers come to chat about their latest creations.  And we're so glad that so many of you believe in what we're doing.

So, here's a big thanks to friends & bloggers who voted for us.  We're so incredibly honored. And we're tickled that you took the time to think of us!  We'd also like to give a HUGE shout-out to the runners up in both award categories.  Please stop over to their blogs and give them a hearty congratulations!

Digital Print Edition - Shepherd Express

Best Food Blog Award Runners Up:
Iron Cupcake / ironcupcakemilwaukee.com
Vegan Milwaukee / veganmilwaukee.com

Favorite Twitterer Runners Up:
@SJWhipp  (blogging at sjwhipp.com)
@radiomilwaukee  (http://www.radiomilwaukee.org/)

And check out all the award winners at Express.com

In celebration of our awards, we'd like to share another sweet treat with you.  Yes, we've been busy at the ice cream machine again.  And this time, it's serious.

Those of you who've been around for a while might recall that every year for Christmas we make chocolate covered brandy cordial cherries to give away as gifts.

Now, by mid-March, the confections themselves are usually long gone.  But, sometimes we still have a few extra brandied cherries lying around.  These cherries are the rejects -- the poor, stemless cherries that were tossed aside in favor of their more sturdily stemmed kin.  These cherries remain, swimming in brandy and staring longingly out of their clear glass jarred windows, until one of us rescues them for an impromptu cooking project.

One of the projects I've been meaning to get around to is coming up with a recipe for a decadent brandied chocolate cherry cake.  But, this batch of cherries ended up in a batch of celebratory white chocolate ice cream.

The rich creamy white chocolate ice cream makes a perfect sweet backdrop for the the slightly sweet, and definitively alcoholic, cherries.  The nice thing about brandied cherries is that, unlike their virgin brothers & sisters, they maintain a firm texture but don't freeze solid even when surrounded by frigid ice cream.

And... much like anything that's been steeping in alcohol for a time, they're pretty delicious.  This ice cream is the perfect addition to your Easter dessert tray or an accompaniment to that batch of brownies you've been wanting to make.

White Chocolate Ice Cream with Brandied Cherries

Enjoy!
And here's to another year of blogging and tweeting!


©BURP! Where Food Happens
Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.