Farmer cheese is a soft, unripened cheese with a texture similar to ricotta’s. This recipe is more savory than sweet but has a little sweetness from the honey along with the herbal notes of thyme. It is best served at brunch, as a savory appetizer or afternoon snack, or if you’re feeling fancy, make it part of a cheese course for dessert.
Makes one 10-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
2 cups farmer cheese
½ cup whole milk
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
If you can’t find farmer cheese, a good, rich ricotta is a fine substitute.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the prebaked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet.
Combine the farmer cheese, milk, honey, thyme, and salt and stir well. Add the eggs one at a time and stir until well blended.
Pour the filling into the shell (it will be shallow) and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set, 25 to 30 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but still quite wobbly. Be careful not to overbake or the filling will be dry; the filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve at room temperature or cool.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 2 days or at room temperature for 1 day.
The arrival of ripe sour cherries at the market is a sure sign that spring is in full bloom in New York and summer is just around the corner. Slightly smaller than a sweet cherry, the sour cherry boasts a truly incomparable flavor. While they are in season, we make as many sour cherry pies as we can.
Makes one 9-inch pie
Serves 8 to 10
5 cups sour cherries, pitted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground arrowroot
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)
Demerara sugar, for finishing
We like arrowroot as a thickening agent; it holds up to the acidity of the cherries without getting gummy as cornstarch easily can. Ground tapioca is a fair substitute if you can’t find arrowroot; see the “Ingredients” section for more tips on starches.
Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top (see here and here).
Combine the cherries, lemon juice, granulated and brown sugars, arrowroot, allspice, salt, egg, and bitters in a large bowl and toss well to combine. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired (see here and here).
Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry. Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Brush the pastry with the egg wash to coat; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.
Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout, 30 to 35 minutes longer.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.