Sour Cherry Torte

Ingredients:

• 4 cups pitted tart or sour cherries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• Confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the cherries and 1 cup of sugar in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Set aside, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour the cherries and juice into a fine mesh sieve and let the juice drain into a saucepan. Remove about ¼ cup of the juice from the pan and mix it with the tablespoon of cornstarch. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Add the cornstarch mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from the heat. Let cool for 10 minutes then stir in the cherries.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining cup of sugar, the flour and baking powder. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Mix in the eggs. Press half of the mixture in a 9-inch springform pan. Spoon the cherries over the top. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top of the cherries and press down lightly.
5. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is pale golden and the torte shrinks slightly away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for one hour before removing the springform.
6. Dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

Makes 8 servings