Cherry Hand Pies......

I cheated a little and used ready made pie dough for these adorable little cherry hand pies.  I have to be honest here. I don't like or eat cooked cherries, but everyone else seemed to enjoy them.  Here's the recipe!

For the filling:
3 cups pitted cherries, roughly chopped (1 to 1 1/2 pounds whole cherries)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine the cherries, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the cherries are juicy and the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, 5 more minutes. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the juice into a small bowl; stir in the cornstarch until dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and continue to simmer, stirring, until very thick, 6 to 8 more minutes. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the lemon juice and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the  ready made pie dough. Cut out 5-inch circles.  Place cut circles on the prepared baking sheets,  Spoon 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center of each circle, fold over, making sure the filling is not spilling out the edges, and crimp the edges with a fork. Pierce the tops to create steam vents.
2. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Let sit on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Meyer Lemon Tart .......

I finally found Meyer lemons this past weekend at the farm I frequent in New Hampshire.  Now all I needed was a delicious recipe that would highlight their subtle tartness.  I  found just what I had been looking for in a Pillsbury recipe  Was it ever delicious.  Here is the recipe.
 Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch 

2 tbsp. flour

1 1/2 cups water 

3 eggs yolks, beaten 

1 tbsp. Meyer lemon zest 

1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice 

1 tbsp. butter

1 Pillsbury pie crust 

• Heat oven to 450°F. Bake pie crust as directed on box for One-Crust Baked Shell, using 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom or 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool on cooling rack 15 minutes.
•  In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and flour. Gradually stir in water, stirring until smooth. Heat to boiling over medium heat; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Quickly stir about 1/2 cup hot mixture into beaten egg yolks; mix well. Gradually stir egg mixture back into hot mixture. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter; stir until melted. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Carefully pour hot lemon filling in crust. Cool 2 hours; top with blackberries ans strawberry slices. Refrigerate until serving time. Remove side of pan. Cover and refrigerate any remaining tart.

The tart was a great success and won raves all around.

Chick Pea and Edamame Salad.....

Simple, quick, healthy and delicious.  Everything I want in a salad.  Here's the recipe, enjoy!    

1 (15oz.) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
12 oz. edamame, no need to defrost, they'll defrost while the salad rests in the fridge
1 red pepper, diced small
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Note* I only use GMO free ( genetically modified organisms) edamame from Traders Joe's.

Mix everything in a bowl and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge so that the vinegar and oil can flavor the salad.   I like to eat this salad with a piece of whole grain pita.