People wax poetic about the Montmorency Cherry all over Door County, Wisconsin. The bright red, tart cherry, which is named after its homeland north of Paris, dots orchards and finds itself in a variety of authentic and iconic food and drink by those who dream with visions of cherries in their heads. Writer Suzanne Corbett provides us with some wonderful recipes using Door County Cherries so that you can enjoy them wherever you live. 

Save these recipes to Pinterest so you can make them when cherries are at their best. Photos by Suzanne Corbett. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Hungry for more? Read about Door County’s famous Montmorency cherries.

Recipes Using Door County Cherries: Cherry Bounce

Here’s an easy recipe to master that I serve. It’s a Door County specialty for those 21 years and older. It promises to warm the heart and chase away winter’s chill.

The makings of Cherry Bounce in Door County, WI.

Makes 1 quart.

Ingredients:
1 pound cherries
3 cups sugar
4 cups spirit of choice (vodka, bandy, rum or whisky)

Method:
Pierce each cherry with a knife in one or two places to allow the booze to soak in.

Combine the sugar and 1 cup of liquor in a glass, half gallon jar. Shake or stir well to dissolve as much of the sugar as you can. Now, add the fruit and shake again before adding the remaining liquor.

Store the mixture in a sunny indoor spot for one week, then move it into a cabinet or closet for at least 40 days. After that, the Bounce will keep indefinitely, stored at a moderate, even temperature.

When you’re ready to use it, strain the cherries from the Bounce and pour the clean juice into a 1-quart glass jar. Set the cherries aside for use as garnishes in cocktails, or serve them with ice cream or as a topping for cheesecake.

Door County Bounce specialists recommend tweaking your recipe with additional ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I recommend a cinnamon stick.

Hungry for more? Discover our Editor’s Pick places to visit in Door County, Wisconsin.

Recipes Using Door County Cherries: Belgian Cherry Pie

Recipe courtesy Gina Guth, owner of the Flour Pot, teaches the art of the Belgian Pie for Door County visitors and locals at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Sister Bay. She divides the recipe into the various elements of the pie to help us bakers.

Instructor, Gina Guth teaches the secrets to making the iconic Belgian Cherry Pie.

Makes 4 pies

Crust Ingredients:
1 oz yeast
1 TBS sugar
3 TBS warm water
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
3 TBS sugar
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
3 cups flour

Crust Method:
Place yeast in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon sugar and pour water over yeast. Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and let it stand until bubbly.

Heat cream over a medium heat until a skin forms on top. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, salt and room temperature butter. Add cream and beat, then add yeast.

Add one cup flour and continue beating with mixer until dough creeps up the beaters. Remove dough from mixer and knead on a lightly floured surface, adding flour until it no longer sticks to your fingers. Dough will be soft, but you should be able to cause an indent in the dough that will stay.

Cover and let rise until double in size while making the filling.

Cherry Filling Ingredients:
4 cups pitted tart cherries
2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup cherry juice

Cherry Filling Method:
Drain cherries and reserve juice for glaze.

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Gradually add the cherry juice and stir until smooth. Cook and whisk until thickened.

Stir in the drained cherries.

Cheese Topping Ingredients:
6 oz dry curd cottage cheese
12 oz small curd 4% cottage cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks

Cheese Topping Method:
Separate egg whites from yolks and set aside the whites.

Squeeze the moisture out of dry cottage cheese with a cheesecloth. Discard the liquid.

In a food processor mix together small curd creamed cottage cheese alternating with the dry curd that has been drained of all whey. Add sugar to the cottage cheese mixture.

Whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Add to the cheese and mix well.

Assembling the Pie and Baking:
Lay terry cloth towels on table with wax paper over them. Divide dough into fourths. Let rise until double in size.

Place each piece of dough in a greased pie pan and pat with fingers leaving a ridge at edges to prevent the fillings from running over.

Add the cherry filling (approximately one cup per pie). Cover the cherries with the cottage cheese topping leaving some of the filling showing at the crust edge.

Bake at 350 degrees until crust is golden brown.

Set pies to cool on terry cloth towels that have been covered with flour sack towels. This helps absorb the moisture so the crust doesn’t get soggy.

— Story and photos by Suzanne Corbett

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