Cherry Torte

Cherry Torte

“Merry, merry, take a cherry, mine are sounder, mine are rounder,

Mine are sweeter for the eater, when the dews fall, and you’ll be fairies all.”

-Emily Dickinson

 Cherry Torte

Before the cherry season passes us by, I want to put up my mom’s cherry torte recipe.  It has a chewy, meringue-y crust that is not too sweet.  If you use canned cherry filling you can make this in about half the time, but it will be a much sweeter dessert.  It’s best served warm.

Serves: 6

Prep time: one hour

Ingredients

  • 4 cups pitted cherries
  • ¾ cup of sugar for crust and ¾ cup of sugar for cherry filling
  • 3 egg whites
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • dash of salt
  • ½ cup saltine cracker crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch


Directions

  1. Beat egg whites and salt until foamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating to stiff peaks.  Add vanilla.
  2. Mix nuts, cracker crumbs, baking powder and cornstarch.  Fold into egg white mixture.  Spread in greased 9-inch pie pan and bake in 300 degree oven for 40 minutes.  Allow crust to cool.
  3. Place pitted cherries and ¾ cup of sugar in a saucepan and cook at medium-low heat until soft, but not soggy.   Drain liquid from cherries.  When crust is cooled, spoon cherries on to crust and serve.Cherry Torte

    Cherry Torte

  4. Note: I used small baking dishes in the photos.  If you decide to make the torte in smaller containers, decrease baking time from 40 to 30 minutes.
  5. This is a big favorite of mine because the crust is unusual – very chewy and delicious because of the beaten egg whites in it.Cherry Torte

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