- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
- Calories
- 970 kcal
Quick summary
“Elegant pie assembled on a crispy base of Maria cookies and butter, filled with a baked custard of condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla, enriched with drained canned cherries and a balanced touch of lemon.”
What you need to know
- The ten-minute pre-baking of the cookie crust creates an impermeable barrier against the moisture of the filling.
- The addition of lemon juice cuts the dense sweetness of the condensed milk and helps in the coagulation of the egg proteins.
- Resting for complete cooling is indispensable for the filling to reach a firm cut when unmolding.
Ingredients
Main
- 200g of cornstarch cookies
- 100g of melted butter
- 300g of cherries in syrup, drained
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 150g of sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Principal
- In the food processor, grind the cookies until they become flour and mix with the melted butter until a dough forms.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the removable-bottom pan and bake for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, condensed milk, and vanilla essence until you get a homogeneous cream.
- Add the cherries and lemon juice to the mixture.
- Pour the filling over the baked crust and bake for another 35 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before unmolding.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Chef's tips
- Drain the cherries in syrup very well over a sieve and dry lightly with paper towels before placing them in the cream.
- Grind the cookie until it becomes fine flour to obtain a compact base without cracks that leak butter in the oven.
- Run a thin, non-serrated knife around the warm pan before opening the ring so as not to break the side of the pie.
Variations
- Add fifty grams of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the cream for a classic black forest combination.
- Cover the cooled pie with homemade jam made from the reduced cherry syrup and cornstarch.
- Mix fifty grams of ground cashew nuts to the cookie farofa to enrich the base with toasted notes.
Substitutions
- The cornstarch cookie can be replaced by ladyfinger cookies or milk-based butter cookies.
- Cherries in syrup can be swapped for fresh pitted cherries or whole well-drained blackberries.
- The vanilla essence can be replaced with natural vanilla extract or fine lemon zest.
How to store
Keep stored under refrigeration in a closed container for up to five days. Serve directly chilled, at which point the cream structure reaches a dense and firm consistency comparable to a cheesecake-type pie.
Can it be frozen?
Freeze the already baked and cooled pie, whole or in slices wrapped in double plastic wrap for up to sixty days. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator for eight hours before consuming; never thaw in the oven or microwave.
What to serve with
Serve with warm dark chocolate sauce, fresh mint leaves for garnish, a glass of port wine, or espresso without sugar to contrast the creamy and sweet richness of the baked condensed milk.
Frequently asked questions
How to prevent the cookie base from burning?
Pay attention to the initial ten minutes in the oven and bake the pan on a flat baking sheet to insulate direct heat.
Why did the cherries sink to the bottom of the pan?
Cherries have a high specific weight; you can chop them into halves and lightly sprinkle starch before incorporating into the cream.
Can I unmold the pie while warm?
No, the baked cream needs to cool completely to structure the fats and proteins, otherwise it will fall apart.
Can the pie be made in a regular baking dish?
Yes, assemble in a glass or ceramic baking dish, skipping the unmolding and serving the slices directly from the dish.
