Cherry Baskets – Pastry
Two cups sifted enriched flour
One teaspoon salt
Two-thirds cup shortening
Three to five tablespoons cold water
Sift together flour and salt. Cut or rub in shortening. Add water. Mix into a dry, crumbly dough. Toss on a floured pastry cloth. Roll and fold until smooth. Roll about one-eighth inch thick. Cut with a three-inch biscuit cutter. Place one pastry round on the bottom of each three-inch muffin cup. Line sides of muffin cup by overlapping five pastry rounds around each muffin cup, setting the rounds on edge. Press edges of pastry on sides firmly to edges of pastry on the bottom. Prick with fork. Bake in a hot oven (400-degrees) eight to ten minutes. Cool. Fill with Cherry Filling.
Makes six baskets.
Cherry Filling
One-half cup sugar
Two tablespoons cornstarch
One-half teaspoon salt
One and one-half cup cherry juice or water
Two cups pitted cherries, fresh or canned
Mix together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Heat cherry juice or water and add sugar mixture to cherry juice, stirring constantly. Cook until cherry juice is clear and medium thick. Add cherries and blend well. When Cherry Filling cools, fill pastry baskets.
Makes enough filling for six baskets.