SWEET CHERRIES AND RHUBARB IN A CORNMEAL CRUST

makes one 9” x 9” x 1” square pie
 
Cornmeal Pie Pastry-
 
1 cup cold water plus 2 tablespoons cold  cider vinegar (you won't use all of this)
½ cup ice
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup stone ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
8 oz. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces

Add the ice to the cold water and vinegar and refrigerate. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and sugar. Using a bench scraper or two knives, cut the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. Retrieve the cold water/vinegar from the fridge. Add 2 tablespoons of the water/vinegar around the sides of the bowl, using a fork to toss the mixture together. Add just enough additional water, (2 tablespoons at a time,) tossing the flour mixture with the water to create a shaggy dough that just holds together when pinched. (Depending upon the weather, I use about ½ cup ice water, give or take one tablespoon.) The dough should be moist, but not overly wet, and just hold together. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out.
 
On a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, roll one disc of dough into a square, roughly 12” by ⅛” thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9” square tart pan with removable bottom. Tuck the edges under and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate the bottom crust. Retrieve the second disc of dough from the fridge and roll it into a square, roughly 12” by ⅛” thick. This will be the top crust; you can leave it in one piece or cut it into 1” strips to form a lattice. Cover the top crust with plastic wrap and slide the parchment paper with the top crust onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate the top crust while you prepare the filling.
 
Sweet Cherries and Rhubarb Filling-
 
1 pound fresh rhubarb, rinsed, leaves removed, cut into ½” thick pieces (you should have about 2½ cups)
2½ cups sweet cherries, rinsed, stems removed, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
⅛ teaspoon Fee Brothers Cherry Cocktail Bitters (available at gourmet grocery, liquor and coffee shops- also available from Amazon)
 1 teaspoon orange zest
⅓ cup granulated sugar (if the cherries are on the tart side, you can add an additional tablespoon)
⅓ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons tapioca starch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of salt
⅛ teaspoon Fee Brothers Cherry Cocktail Bitters (available at gourmet grocery, liquor and coffee shops- also available from Amazon)
 
egg wash made from 1 egg yolk whisked with 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
coarse sugar for sanding
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, cherries, orange juice and cherry bitters. In a medium bowl, whisk together orange zest with granulated sugar, brown sugar, tapioca starch, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Use a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine the sugar mixture with the fruit. Retrieve the bottom crust and top crust from the fridge. Spoon the filling into the bottom crust. Cover with the top crust (or lattice strips). If using a solid top crust, be sure to cut a few vents in the middle of the crust for the steam to escape. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake on the bottom shelf of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the middle rack of the oven and continue baking for an additional 35-40 minutes, covering the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. The pie is ready when the juices are bubbling around the edges and from the center. Set the pie on a rack to cool completely before serving, at least 3 hours. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.