we spent this past weekend up in door county, at the upper eastern tip of wisconsin, where looking out over lake michigan feels like you’re at the edge of the world.

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

we skiied, relaxed in hot tubs, read books by the fire, and ate lots of northern wisconsin specialties. having never been up to door county in the wintertime, i very much enjoyed how the little towns go from being summer vacation destinations to the perfect snowy sanctuary for those that want to embrace winter, if only for the weekend.

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

and of course, no trip to door county is complete without door county cherries. and while cherry pies may not be as prevalent at every store as they are in the summer, you can still purchase a nice looking jar of the fruit at roadside markets.

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

these particular cherries came from wienke’s market. i didn’t have a plan for what these cherries would become. pie seemed like the obvious choice, but since jason is traveling this week it felt silly to make a whole pie, eat a slice, eat another slice, and then stare at it on the counter.

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

thus came the idea of little hand-pie-esque pastries, filled with a similar (but less sweet) cherry filling. eating only one feels totally manageable and since they’re self contained, they lend themselves to sharing and/or awaiting jason’s arrival back home (if he’s lucky).

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

but why stop with just a cherry filling when you can add brandy to the mix? so there you go. door county cherries, a little brandy to spice things up, and a pastry crust that never fails.

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

slap on a little egg wash and throw them in the oven. breakfast and dessert in one. so efficient.

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

door county cherry and brandy pastries | things i made today

Door County Cherry and Brandy Pastries
Recipe type: Breakfast, Dessert
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
For the crust:
  • 1¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, right out of the fridge, cut into chunks
  • ¼ cup ice water
For the filling and assembly:
  • 1 cup Door County cherries, no sugar added (or similar product)
  • ¾ cup cherry juice from jar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
To make the crust:
  1. In a food processor or bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and salt. Add in butter and pulse (or use pastry cutter) until small pea-sized clumps form.
  2. Add water, and pulse (or use hands) until dough forms. Remove from bowl and knead with hands for a minute, making sure all dough sticks together.
  3. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour, up to overnight.
To make the filling:
  1. In a small pot, heat cherries, cherry juice, and sugar until just starting to boil. Stir in corn starch and let thicken, about 4-5 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, add in brandy and stir. Let cool completely.
To assemble:
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Roll out dough to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into 4 squares, about 4 inches each side.
  3. Scoop cherry filling in the middle, dividing evenly among 4 squares.
  4. For each pastry, pinch corners into center from all four sides, and use your fingers to pinch together and seal in the filling.
  5. Brush pastries with egg wash and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown and cherries are oozing out those sides just a tiny bit.
  6. Let cool before serving.

 

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