Sour Cherry Crumble

Last summer I went cherry picking in Shelburne, Massachusetts! Collecting sour cherries is definitely a labor of love, as you have to climb up a ladder to reach the gorgeous fruit at the top of the cherry trees. I cleaned, pitted and froze them, and then forgot all about them until yesterday. Sour cherries certainly do have a fabulous intense flavor—this recipe is definitely a keeper!

 

Fruit filling:
4 to 5 C of pitted sour cherries
1/2 C plus plus 2 tsp sugar (or more to taste)
3 Tbsp tapioca (I used seed pearl, but I think instant would work really well too!)
1/4 C melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract
pinch salt

Crumble topping:
1 1/4 C flour
1/4 C butter, well chilled, grated
4 TBsp brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
To make the fruit filling mix the cherries, sugar, tapioca, butter, lemon juice, almond extract and salt. Mix gently and set aside.
To make the crumble, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the grated butter. Rub the butter into the flour so that you have a coarse crumble texture. Add the brown and white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and stir gently.
Pour the fruit filling into a casserole dish and then gently spoon the crumble mixture over the top.
Bake for about 5 minutes at 475 degrees, then lower the heat to 375, and bake for about 40 minutes.
Serve with some nice big dollops of whipped cream. Enjoy!