To celebrate DC’s Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom this week, William Jeffrey’s Tavern Chef Jonathan Till is sharing his beloved Sour Cherry Pie recipe with Arlington residents.
ARLINGTON, VA., March 28, 2016 – Chef Jonathan Till, a native Hawaiian, grew up cooking and baking with his Tutu (grandmother in Hawaiian) from the moment he could reach the kitchen counter. This 3rd generation recipe has been a favorite of his since childhood. Preserving this family recipe has allowed Chef Till to remember the importance of sharing food, whether it’s a holiday or a simple occasion we want to make special. Please enjoy this recipe, from Chef Till and William Jeffrey’s.
Tutu’s Sour Cherry Pie
Crust
• 4 Cups AP flour
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• 1 LB cold butter, cut into ½ inch squares
• ¼ Ice cold water
• ½ Cup heavy cream or half and half
Cherry filling:
• 4 cans “luck leaf no sugar added” canned cherries, rinsed and drained well
OR
• 5 Cups sour cherries washed and pitted
• 4 Tablespoon “minute” brand tapioca
• ¼ Teaspoon Almond extract
• 1 ½ Cups white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ vanilla bean seeds (optional)
Directions:
• In a large mixing bowl add flour, butter and salt
• With a pastry cutter tool chop butter into salt
• Once all butter has been chopped into the flour and the mixture looks like yellow corn meal add ice
water and gently mix with hands JUST UNTIL mixture has come together
• Form dough into a ball in bowl and dump ball on WELL floured surface
• cut dough ball in half and set one half aside
• roll remaining half into a circle slightly larger than a nine-inch pie plate and place into pie plate
• Mix all cherry filling ingredients together in a bowl by hand and toughly
add cherry filling to pie
• roll remaining dough into strips long enough to cover surface of pie
• lay strips alternating pattern to create latus work
• cut over hanging strips and pinch dough together to create “crust”
• Using a pastry brush, brush top of pie with heavy cream or half & half
• sprinkle generous amount of clear “sanding sugar” or Turbinado sugar
• Bake in a preheated oven at 375 for about an hour and fifteen min or until crust is golden brown
• allow to fully cool before cutting
About William Jeffrey’s Tavern
William Jeffrey’s Tavern was welcomed to the Penrose neighborhood of Arlington, VA in December, 2011. Decorated in Prohibition Era décor, William Jeffrey’s offers a 16 tap bar, standing fireplaces, a raw oyster bar and HDTV’s. The restaurant is committed to serving comfort, craft and cheer with handcrafted cocktails and American style food, served with a twist. Open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am – 2:00 am, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am – 2:00 am, William Jeffrey’s is located at 2301 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA. For more information, please visit the website at www.williamjeffreystavern.com or email [email protected].