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Cherry Danish


This handwritten Cherry Danish recipe has been tucked into one of my cookbooks for many years. I finally decided to make it, and realized it's pretty well just like an apple bar I've made (posted by Lovella). I decided to still add it, as the fruit combination is very good and the lattice top gives us another option. This is the perfect sweet to bake fresh for the weekend. Leftovers freeze well.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening or lard
  • 2 egg yolks, plus milk to make 2/3 cup
  • 2 cups cherry pie filling
  • 1 cup frozen cherries, chopped and/or berries
  • 2 egg whites, whisked until frothy
icing
  • 1 cup icing sugar mixed with about 1 Tbsp water and 1/4 tsp vanilla
Method:
  1. In mixing bowl, mix flour and salt, then cut in butter and shortening with pastry blender until biggest crumbs are about pea sized.
  2. With fork, stir in egg yolks and milk. Keep stirring until mixture comes together. If you need to add more liquid, do not add more than a tablespoon. 
  3. Push together with your hands and gently knead into a ball. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, prepare fruit. I added chopped frozen cherries, blackberries and raspberries to a can of cherry pie filling.
  5. Preheat oven to 400 F.
  6. Divide pastry in half. On floured surface, pat out pastry into a rectangle. Roll out slightly larger than a 10 x 15 inch rimmed cookie sheet so that edges can come up. 
  7. Roll up with rolling pin and unroll into ungreased cookie sheet. 
  8. Brush pastry with egg white and then cover with fruit.
  9. Roll out second half of pastry. BTW if you see small pieces of butter in it as you roll, it's perfectly fine. It will make the pastry flaky. Roll up with rolling pin and unroll over top of fruit, folding sides under with a butter knife. Alternately, you can cut it into strips, the long way. Lay half of the strips over top the long way, leaving spaces. Cut the rest of the strips in half and lay across the long pieces, starting in the center, lifting as you weave them in. 
  10. Brush with egg white. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and fruit is bubling.
  11. Brush with icing while warm.
  12. This pan serves 12 - 14 pie pieces, you can serve with ice cream or it can be cut into thirds, the long way, and sliced into bars to serve 36.
Tip: You can freeze the whole pan unbaked and bake it (from frozen) when you need it.

8 comments:

  1. Anneliese, for clarification before I try this delicious looking treat, is the butter measurement 1/2 cup? A period snuck in there on you

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  2. Such a pretty dessert! I love the idea of freezing it unbaked till needed too.

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  3. I lost a recipe for Cherry squares like this, but with yeast in the pastry dough....it was so good. Does anyone have that? I appreciate all the effort you put into MGCC.

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    Replies
    1. Doreen, could this be a similar pastry recipe that you are looking for? http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/search?q=peach+platz

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    2. Thankyou, Charlotte. That looks good...I'll try it.

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  4. Great idea adding the other fresh fruits! Canned pie filling can be overly sweet...

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