This mixed berry pie recipe is the perfect dessert for someone who loves to bake and wants to satisfy all their guests! You can even make it with your kids!

SERVES 1 // COOK TIME 50-60 mins

INGREDIENTS
For the pastry
2 cups flour
2 tbsp icing sugar
145 g butter, cubed
6 tbsp cold water
1 egg, whisked
For the filling
1 cup each blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries
½ cup brown sugar + extra to top
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

METHOD
1. Mix flour and icing sugar. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture forms fine crumbs.
2. Add water and mix until a dough forms. Knead lightly to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C and set out a pie tin.
4. Roll out the dough to 5 mm thick. Cut out a circle a little bigger than the pie tin. Drape it over the tin and press into the sides and base. Crimp the edges.
5. Roll the remaining dough into a ball and return it to the fridge.
6. Mix all the filling ingredients and spoon into the pie shell.
7. Roll out the remaining dough and cut it into 5 strips.
8. Lay 3 strips across the pie and weave the other 2 strips through them. Trim any excess dough and crimp the edges.
9. Brush the top of the pie with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 50–60 minutes, until the pastry is golden.

Recipe & Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen

Learn how to make the perfect batch of shortcrust pastry, and then use it to create this apple and raspberry tart.

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These bright red gems are still in season and a must for all your roasts! See how they upgrade this oven-roasted cherry and thyme chicken skillet.

SERVES 4–6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 10 min

INGREDIENTS
6 chicken thighs
1 tbsp chopped thyme
2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 garlic clove, grated
1 lemon, zested and halved
3 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 onion, thickly sliced
½ garlic bulb
½ cup white wine
¼ cup chicken stock
1½ cups fresh cherries, pitted
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Toss the chicken with some olive oil and the herbs, garlic and lemon zest. Season.
3. Heat some oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove from the pan.
4. Add the carrots, onion and garlic bulb to the pan and fry for 2–3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine, stock and a squeeze of lemon juice.
5. Nestle the chicken pieces and lemon halves between the carrots.
6. Toss the cherries, vinegar and 1 tbsp of the honey together. Spoon over the chicken.
7. Brush the chicken pieces with the remaining honey.
8. Roast for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked though. Serve the chicken skillet hot with extra thyme.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Gareth Van Nelson // HMimages.co.za

What’s for dessert? More cherries! Enjoy this delicious cherry cheesecake pie combo.

The post Oven-roasted cherry and thyme chicken skillet appeared first on MyKitchen.

The best thing about the festive season? Leftovers! Use up for your meat for these gammon toasties with cherries and Brie.

MAKES 4 // COOKING TIME 50 min

INGREDIENTS
2 cups cherries, pitted and halved
1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼ cup water
2 tsp chopped sage
2 tbsp softened butter
8 slices sourdough bread
4 tsp wholegrain mustard
1½ cups grated white Cheddar
125 g Brie, sliced
8 slices leftover gammon, shredded

METHOD
1. Cook the cherries and vinegar in a pan over low-medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until softened and sticky.
2. Add the water bit by bit whenever the pan gets dry. Add the sage and fry for 2 minutes. Set aside.
3. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top the unbuttered sides of 4 slices With mustard, white Cheddar, Brie and gammon. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Top with spoonfuls of cherries and some more Cheddar. Sandwich closed with the unbuttered sides of the remaining slices of bread.
5. Toast in a pan, in your sandwich press, on the braai or in the oven, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Serve warm.

Recipe & styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Gareth van Nelson // HMimages.co.za

Speaking of fruit sandwiches, get a load of these cheesy gooseberry toasties.

The post Leftover gammon toasties with cherries and Brie appeared first on MyKitchen.

Celebrating Christmas Eve with a casual gathering of canapés? Treat your guests to these delicious cherry martinis for a welcome drink!

SERVES 10 // COOKING TIME 10 min

INGREDIENTS
½ cup cherry jam
1 cup whiskey
1 cup Martini Rosso
2 tsp bitters
1 cup cherries

METHOD
1. Add the jam to a food processor and liquidise it. Strain through a fine sieve.
2. Combine all the ingredients, except the cherries, in a large jug.
3. Add a cherry and a block of ice to each glass. Pour over some cherry cocktail and serve.

Recipe & styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Samantha Pinto // HMimages.co.za

In Chile, the cola de mono is a customary Christmas drink made with coffee and spices, and served chilled.

The post Celebrate in style with these Christmas cherry martinis appeared first on MyKitchen.

Winter fruit can create some surprisingly bright dishes! This raspberry swirl cheesecake with gold-dipped cherries is the perfect tea time treat for a special occasion.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 3 hours 45 min

INGREDIENTS
For the biscuit base
2 packets Romany Creams
180 g butter, melted
For the filling
500 g full-cream smooth cream cheese
385 g tin condensed milk
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla essence
For the raspberry swirl
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
¼ cup sugar
For the topping
½ cup cherries, pitted
1 tbsp edible gold dust
Pomegranate rubies
Lavender flowers

METHOD
For the biscuit base
1. Lightly grease a 23 cm tart tin.
2. Pulse the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs.
3. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is well combined and sticks together when pressed.
4. Spread evenly over the base and sides of the tart tin, pressing down firmly.
For the filling
1. Combine cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla essence until the mixture has a thick, smooth consistency.
2. Pour the filling into the base. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes, until semi-set.
For the raspberry swirl
1. Purée the raspberries in a food processor.
2. Place the raspberries and sugar in a small pot. Heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring continuously.
3. Strain the raspberry sauce through a fine sieve and discard the pips. Allow it to cool.
4. Pour the cooled sauce into a piping bag. Drop dots of the sauce on to the surface of the cheesecake. With a toothpick, draw a line down the centre of each dot to form a heart shape.
5. Place the cheesecake back in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight, until fully set.
For the topping
1. Dip the cherries in the edible gold dust and arrange on top of the cheesecake. Scatter the pomegranate rubies and lavender flowers over the cake.

Recipe & styling: Caro Alberts
Photography: Myburgh du Plessis

The post Raspberry swirl cheesecake with gold-dipped cherries appeared first on MyKitchen.

Cheesecake combos have been popping all over the baking scene lately. Outshine them all with this gorgeous cherry cheesecake pie!

SERVES 8 // COOKING TIME 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
200 g packet digestive biscuits, crushed
80 g butter, melted
500 g smooth cream cheese
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp cornflour
½ tsp almond essence
200 g cherry jam
100 g fresh cherries, halved and pitted
400 g roll shortcrust pastry
⅓ cup flaked almonds

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a 20 cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. In one bowl, mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter. Press the mixture into the cake tin.
3. In another bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cornflour and almond essence with an electric beater until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base. Bake for 1 hour. The cheesecake is done when the sides are set, but the middle is still a bit wobbly. If it is too wobbly, return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and set aside until cooled completely.
5. Turn up the oven to 180°C.
6. Spread the jam evenly over the cooled cheesecake. Scatter the cherries on top.
7. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 3 mm thick. Cut out a circle about the same size as the cheesecake. Cut a pattern out of the pastry with a cookie cutter.
8. Place the pastry over the cheesecake so that the filling shows through. Fold the pastry down over the edges.
9. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden. Garnish the cherry cheesecake pie with flaked almonds and serve with whipped cream.

Recipe & styling: Diane Heierli
Photography: Christoph Heierli

The post Cherry cheesecake pie appeared first on MyKitchen.