Recipe

Elegy for a dirty snowbank

Elegy for a dirty snowbank

Photo 1 of 5
by Sagegreen

Elegy for a dirty snowbank

Photo 2 of 5
by Sagegreen

Elegy for a dirty snowbank

Photo 3 of 5
by Sagegreen

Elegy for a dirty snowbank

Photo 4 of 5
by Sagegreen

Elegy for a dirty snowbank

Photo 5 of 5
by Sagegreen

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Late Winter Tart (Sweet or Savory)
  • Chef

    Sagegreen's Notes: The resilient carcasses of dirty snowbanks have challenged me to create something beautiful out of their lingering presence. And usually, it is around this time that I start thinking about...

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Makes 1 pie

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the crushed wafers and ground almonds ( I use a coffee grinder) together in a bowl.

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  2. Melt the butter in a small pan; dissolve the sugar in the butter. Pour this over the crumb mixture and mix thoroughly.

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  3. Press this mix into a pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes.

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  4. Spread the cherry preserve over the pie shell. Grate the lemon on top. If you don't have a homemade cherry jam (see aargersi's recipe on this site), you can use a very good cherry preserve from an artisan kitchen. Add a splash of Amaretto if desired. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool and then chill.

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  5. Whip the heavy cream adding a splash of Amaretto, if desired. Lather up a thick layer on cream on top of the chilled pie. Break chocolate wafers in half. Insert into the cream in a radial pattern as illustrated in one of the photos. Cover the wafers over with cream for the magic to happen. Add shaved chocolate on top. It might still look like a dirty snowbank. Patiently, let set for about an hour in the fridge until the wafers bloom into cake-like blossoms. Then serve. Cutting the pie reveals the cherry surprise. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a few days.

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20 Comments on Elegy for a dirty snowbank

Reply

luv your mixture of art and delicious ... have some sour cherry preserves i purchased for my daughter, the sour cherry lover... will show her this tonight and it will help her out of her early spring slump, thanks!

Ab_sum Reply

I think sour cherry would be very nice with this. You may want to cut back on the ground almonds in the crust. Hope this can help your daughter out winter slump. Let me know how it goes!

Blue_cropped Reply

Love this! Thank you for not letting this pie have a yellow snow top...

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks, Hilarybee!

Cheese_for_twitter0001 Reply

Oh wow. Love chocolate cherry!

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks, c. It is chocolate cherry with a hint of almond, too.

036 Reply

This looks delicious! Glad to see that jam being put to work - as soon as cherries are back I will be making a batch or two !!!!

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks, aargersi! Your cherry recipe is brilliant. We LOVE it!!! You can doctor a good cherry preserve with some lemon zest and Amaretto, if anyone does not have yours. Your jam inspired me to add almonds to the chocolate crust!

Reply

Yumme! I really like cherries and chocolates... I really miss my cherry orchid, soon they will start to bloom and spring will be here :)

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks, avc! Your cherry orchard must have been beautiful in the spring! We have some gorgeous dark pink cherry trees. Witch hazel is out here now at least!

Sausage2 Reply

Absolutely love your inspiration! Oh the never ending dirty snowbanks. I try to think of them as an odd sort of artwork...I would much rather think about this pie!

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks, fas. I have been contemplating them each day for months. The pie is magically switching over to looking like the good earth inside with the wafers blooming into chocolate cake....that's my favorite part. Hope we don't eat it before we get some photos!

Katherine_photo Reply

Love the title and the recipe sounds delicious!

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks, km. I sampled a bit and it is very nice!

Kitchenaid Reply

Love the inspiration & the end result!

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks, BB! We will eat it tonight.

Shamrock-medal Reply

Yum! This is a lovely reinterpretation of black forest cake. Your son's going to love it.

Ab_sum Reply

I think he will. I just covered up the pie with more cream and chocolate shavings. As I walked to work along all the dirty snowbanks, I was struck by the resemblance!

Summer_2010_1048 Reply

I love that you can find something redeeming in all these dirty snowbanks. This sounds really good!

Ab_sum Reply

Thanks! My son returns from Thailand tonight....so this will be a welcome home and pre-birthday pie.

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