SOUR CHERRY MOLASSES CURD PIE WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES MERINGUE
Cook: 60 minutes
Q & A WITH aNNIE Mae Herring
How did you learn to cook?
My cooking education is a strange one. My late paternal grandmother seemed to have the coolest life. Posing in hats for Yves St Laurent, then a Vogue model before she got bored, and then trained at Le Cordon Bleu. She then trained her children (my father being the eldest and most food-oriented of the bunch), who then taught me from about the age of 4. Over lockdown, I took Leith’s Professional & Patisserie Courses, and that’s about as much formal training as I have had; the rest is through cookbooks, intuition and just the sheer delight of cooking new dishes.
What is your favourite type of food?
My favourite type of food is simply seasonal cooking. I love utilising what’s in season that month and seeing how I can elevate it into my cooking practices. Food that makes you feel nostalgic & comforted is my kind of cooking, with an elevated twist. Over lockdown, I also really got into baking my own bread, and I haven’t bought bread for over a year now!
What's your favourite dish to cook?
I just adore cooking desserts. It can range from a silky panna cotta, fruity crumbles… to death by chocolate. Crème brulee was the first dessert I was taught to make as a young child, and it is something that everyone adores. I love making different varieties of the French classic, I recently developed a Cereal Milk version for my newsletter, and it’s my most popular recipe for a reason!
What would be your last meal on earth?
My last meal on earth would be a starter of Moules Marinière or Bouillabaisse with thick Garlic & Saffron aioli, and for main, a BBQ’d Texas Styled Rare T-Bone Steak with Red wine Jus & my husband’s incredible Herb & Garlic Roast Potatoes. Pudding would have to be the Blackcurrant Sorbet I had in Normandy.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BELAZU PRODUCT?
The first Belazu product I ever tried was the incredibly versatile Modena Balsamic Vinegar. A generous drizzle would go into my mother’s famous spaghetti ragu or over my father’s scrumptious balsamic strawberries & cream. It is an ingredient used hand in hand, as you would salt and pepper in my household.
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For the Pâte Sucrée
115g Caster Sugar -
125g Salted Butter cubed and fridge cold
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1 Tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
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65g Egg Yolks
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250g Plain Flour
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1 Egg (beaten) to glaze your tart
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For the Sour Cherry Curd
110g Cherry Juice -
10g Lemon Juice
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2 Tbsp Sour Cherry Molasses
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Zest of 2 Oranges + 1 Lemon
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135g Caster Sugar
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225g Double Cream
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6 Eggs + 1 Yolk
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(Optional) 1 pinch Citric Acid
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For the Pomegranate Molasses Italian Meringue
270g Caster Sugar -
120ml Water
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2 Tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
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1 Tbsp Orange Blossom Extract
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70g Egg Whites
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To Garnish
Pomegranate Seeds -
Sour Cherry or Pomegranate Molasses to drizzle
- Step 0: Start by adding all of your Pâte Sucrée ingredients into a food processor, and blitz until you have achieved a crumbly ball. Lightly flour your work surface and add your pastry. Form into a smooth circle around 2 cm thick. Wrap in cling film and pop into the fridge for half an hour.
- Step 1: Get out a 20cm loose-bottomed tin. Roll out your pastry to 2.5 mm and 1 inch larger than your chosen tart case and drape over to fill. Press into the corners using your fingertips or using any leftover dough rolled into a ball to press into the edges. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges and place back into the fridge to cool again for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 190C/170C Fan.
- Step 2: Scrunch up small pieces of parchment paper and place them into your tart case/s. Fill with baking beans and pop into the oven for 11 minutes. Remove the parchment and beans into a bowl to cool. Roll out long strips of aluminium foil and gently place them around the top edge(s) of your tart. This will ensure that these don't overly brown in the oven, and you can guarantee an even bake. Glaze the bottoms with your beaten egg, and bake for 16 minutes until a deep golden brown.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, add the Sour Cherry Curd ingredients together into a large bowl and whisk to combine evenly. Sieve directly into a jug to achieve a more uniform texture later when cooking (and easy to pour later).
- Step 4: Remove your tart case (s) from the oven and pour your filling into the tart. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing the tart case. Place onto a cake stand.
- Step 5: To make the Italian Meringue, add the sugar, water, pomegranate molasses and orange blossom into a large saucepan. Either using a sugar thermometer or a meat thermometer, place into the saucepan. Heat until 118°C. When the sugar starts climbing around 80", add the egg whites into your stand mixer bowl, and whisk on a medium setting until you have achieved a fluffy texture. Keep whisking on a medium setting while you pour the sugar syrup VERY slowly into your bowl. Whisk until the bowl feels room temperature.
- Step 6: Place a large star nozzle into a large piping bag. I like to place my piping bag into a large glass so it remains vertical while I fill it. Using a spatula, gently fill your piping bag with your Italian meringue. Snip the end of the bag and start piping a pattern of your choosing. Once completed, gently blowtorch around the outside. Top with an extra drizzle of sour cherry molasses and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately and consume within 48 hours.
