Cherry Bourbon Crostata

Here’s a recipe that’s sure to help you win Dad over this Father’s Day!

I don’t know about you, but I am swamped with work stuff, kid stuff, school stuff, and life stuff this month. As such, I’m looking for shortcuts wherever I can find them, especially in the kitchen, and this dessert is loaded with them.

For starters, I’m using frozen fruit in my recipe instead of fresh, even though cherries are readily available in most grocery stores these days. The reason for this is that it saves the time of having to pit and de-stem the stone fruit, and because my cherries are being baked it won’t make too much of a difference in the end result of the dish.

Secondly, I’m making a rustic, free form crostata instead of a perfect pie because it’s so much easier to do so! For this recipe, you only need to roll out one piece of pastry instead of two, and can do so on a piece of parchment paper instead of in a specialty baking dish (less dishes = less clean-up = saved time). Also, because a crostata is baked directly on a sheet pan, the end result is flakier than a traditional pie. I’m giving you a list of ingredients to make your own pasty for this dish—trust me, it’s quick and easy—but if you prefer to use a store-bought product, by all means go ahead.

Also, because this dessert is made specifically with Dads in mind, I’ve added a generous splash of bourbon to the cherries. If you prefer to skip the step of infusing the dish with booze you can simply replace it with orange juice instead.

Tell us, what’s on your Father’s Day menu this year? If you’re in need of a little inspiration we have a few delicious dishes made with beer stashed in the archives!

Serves 6-8

Good to Know:

Crostata can be made up to one day in advance and served at room temperature, if desired.

You’ll Need

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Kosher salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, diced
2 Tbsp ice water
1 lb. frozen and thawed cherries
2 Tbsp bourbon
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Prep and Cook

1

To make the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine.
2

Add the butter and pulse 12-15 times more, or until the butter is the size of small peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at one through the feed tube. Continue pulsing to combine, but stop the machine before the dough becomes a solid mass.
3

Tip the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and form into a disc. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
4

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
5

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, bourbon, cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly to combine.
6

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 10-inch circle, about ¼-inch thick. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet. Pour the cherry mixture into the middle of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, crimping it at 2-inch intervals all away around the crostata.
7

Brush the beaten egg over the crust and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and fruit is tender. Cool for 15 minutes before serving with ice cream, if desired.