• Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index

Cookie Madness

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
×
Home » Fruit Pies

Dark Morello Cherries In Pie Filling

Modified: Jan 21, 2024 · Published: May 2, 2016 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links · 26 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Cherry season will be here soon enough, but if you have a jar of Dark Morello Cherries hanging out in your cabinet and want to put them to good use, here's a basic cherry pie filling and topping.

Dark Morello Cherries
Cherry Filling

What Are Morello Cherries?

Morello cherries are smaller than dark sweet cherries and have a lighter pulp. They're also slightly bitter, so generally not served fresh. You'll usually find them candied or in jars of syrup. I typically find them at Trader Joe's or Aldi. Because the jars are not huge and also contain a lot of juice or syrup, you'll only have enough cherries for a small tart or pie. This actually suits us just fine, and is why I like making little free-form cherry tarts like this one. They don't require a pie dish, and go well with vanilla ice cream. I've included the tart recipe in the notes.

Dark Morello Cherries

Dark Morello Cherries in Pie

If you'd rather make a pie than a tart, you can make a cherry crumb pie using one crust or make a double crust with a lattice like the one in the picture. Be sure to use a relatively shallow pie pan, since this recipe yields a pretty small amount of filling. The pie in the photo below was made with a shallow 9 inch metal pie tin.

  • Trader Joe's Dark Morello Cherries Cherry Crumb Pie
  • Frozen Cherry Berry Pie
  • Minute Tapioca Cherry Pie
  • Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Brownies
  • Trader Joe's Peanut Butter White and Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Recipe

Morello Cherry Pie Filling

Dark Morello Cherries Pie Filling

Anna
Morello Cherry Pie Filling or Topping
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 minutes mins
Total Time 13 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
 

  • 1 jar Dark Morello Cherries (24 oz)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65-70 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (I've been using much more lately) I use up to a tablespoon sometimes
  • 1 teaspoon of butter optional

Tart Crust:

  • 1 ¼ cups 5.8 oz pastry or all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
  • 4-6 tablespoons of ice cold water or more as needed
  • 1 egg mixed with about a tablespoon of water or milk

Instructions
 

  • Drain the cherries, separating the juice and the cherries. You should have 2 cups of cherries and well over a cup of juice. Measure out exactly ¾ cup liquid (that’s all you’ll need).
  • In a large saucepan (2-3 quarts), combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the ¾ cup of cherry juice and stir until smooth. Place saucepan over medium heat and whisk or just stir until mixture boils, thickens and becomes translucent.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the drained 2 cups of cherries, almond extract, lemon juice and the butter (if using). Chill until ready to use.
  • For sauce, you can leave out the butter, but if you are using the filling in cherry tarts or pies, the butter gives the filling a little more body.

Free Form Cherry Tart (Two Small or One Large)

  • In a mixing bowl , mix together flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Cut the butter into bits or grate it with a cheese grater and scatter it over the flour.
  • With a pastry cutter or your fingers, mix until coarse.
  • Add cold water a few tablespoons at a time and stir, pushing all dough toward the center, with a heavy duty scraper until dough holds together.
  • Press into two tight balls (or one large one if making one large crostata), wrap in plastic and chill for at least half an hour or until ready to use.
  • To make a small to medium size tart, set one section of dough on a floured surface. Let it sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to roll.
  • Roll into an 8 inch square and transfer to a parchment lined rimmed baking pan. Spread a thin layer of egg wash over the circle. Spoon about 1 cup of the cherry mixture in the center of the circle, leaving about a 2 inch border. Bring borders of circle up and over the edge of the perimeter of the cherries so that the crust covers just part of the cherries and pinch the edges. It will look like a square, but the edges will probably come apart a little during baking.
  • Brush crust with more egg wash and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 425 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

Notes

This recipe yields enough to make 2 small tarts or one fairly large. The small tarts serve 2-3 (or 4 if you accompany with ice cream) and the large tart should be double. Here's a tip from Karen, who made the recipe and left a comment: Roll out both dough circles before you fill them. That way you can divide the cherries evenly.
Keyword Cherry Topping, Morello Cherries
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Fruit Pies Archive Category

  • Cardamom Plum Galette
    Cardamom Plum Galette
  • Peach Galette
    Peach Galette with Whole Grain Blitz Puff Pastry
  • Frozen Cherry Berry Pie
    Frozen Cherry Berry Pie & Vodka Crust
  • upside down apple pie
    Six Inch Upside Down Apple Pie

Comments

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *






  1. Anna says

    October 29, 2023 at 1:32 pm

    Yay! Thanks for the heads up, Lisa! Let me know how how the pie works for you. I've been making pie free form with the filling, but you can also use the filling in a regular pie crust. It will just be on the shallow side, so maybe use a small-ish crust or a shallow one. That will leave you plenty of room for the crumb topping.

  2. Lisa Federici says

    October 29, 2023 at 1:28 pm

    Guess what? Morello cherries are back at Aldi circa 10/29/23! I can't wait to try this recipe for a cherry pie!! I think I will do a crumb topping and maybe do 1/2 reg sugar and 1/2 brown sugar...

  3. Anna says

    April 09, 2023 at 2:35 pm

    Hi Marielan! Thanks for the review. I've kept the filling in the refrigerator for up to a week. I haven't ever frozen it by itself, but I freeze frozen pies and frozen cherry topped cheesecakes all the time so I'm not sure why you couldn't just throw it all in the freezer. Texture may change a little but it should still be good.

  4. Marielan Fatula says

    April 09, 2023 at 2:05 pm

    5 stars
    hello
    I have a lot of filling left over. can I freeze it? or, how long will it keep in the fridge?
    great easy recipe!
    thank you

  5. Anna says

    January 12, 2021 at 6:25 pm

    Hooray! Thanks, George. I'm glad you were able to find the Morello Cherries. For a few months before Christmas I couldn't find them at either Aldo or Trader Joes, but it seems they are back.

  6. George says

    January 12, 2021 at 5:40 pm

    5 stars
    I followed the filling recipe exactly and it is perfect. It went into a pie with a crumb topping. My go to recipe now!

  7. Anna says

    November 20, 2020 at 2:14 pm

    I hope they come back! I think Aldi still has them. Any brand should do so long as it is the same size package.

  8. Nancy says

    November 20, 2020 at 1:28 pm

    It is now November 2020 and Trader Joe’s No longer carries Morello Cherries. What brand should we now use??

  9. Anna says

    November 30, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    I'm so glad you liked it, and thanks for sharing the bake temps and time for frozen pie shells. That will surely help others! I may add it to the notes.

  10. Jackie says

    November 30, 2019 at 6:16 pm

    Great pie. First time to make a cherry pie. Of course i was using frozen pie shells.
    The baking instructions for the pie was not on recipe. So i baked 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduced heat to 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

  11. Karen M. says

    February 18, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    I had a couple jars of Morello cherries and happen to find this recipe and am glad I did. I doubled the recipe and it was delicious. I did add a little vanilla with the almond extract. I had to make a gluten free crust but it was pretty close to your recipe. It is a great recipe. Thank you.

  12. Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures says

    December 24, 2017 at 11:38 am

    I made this today and it is delicious! Thank you for the recipe! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

  13. Anna says

    February 13, 2017 at 10:53 am

    Hello Karen,
    I'm so glad it worked out for you. And thanks for the tip about rolling the dough! I'll copy it and add it to the recipe.

  14. Karen says

    February 13, 2017 at 10:45 am

    5 stars
    I made this crostata with a jar of Morello cherries from Aldi. It was outstanding. Followed the recipe exactly except used my food processor to make to dough for the crust. Turned out perfect. One tip would be to roll out both dough circles before you fill them. That way you can divide the cherries evenly. I did one first and shorted it on filling then the 2nd had too much... Live and learn....

  15. Suz says

    November 23, 2016 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for your thorough response. I will proceed exactly as you suggested.
    You have pleased my whole Thanksgiving family group; I just know it!

    Happy Holidays

  16. Anna says

    November 23, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    Hello Suz,

    Great question! In fact, I just baked a pie using the filling. Here's a link to the most recent recipe.

    https://www.cookiemadness.net/2016/11/cherry-crumb-pie/

    This particular pie has a crumb topping rather than a second crust, so it comes together pretty quickly.

    Now if you just wanted to wing it and build you own pie using this filling, my advice would be to use an uncooked pie crust, fill it with the cherry filling, top with a lattice (if not using a crumb topping) and bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes on a preheated cookie sheet. Also, if the pie is deep dish or anything larger than 9 inches round, you might need to double the filling.

  17. Suz says

    November 23, 2016 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    The tart sounds wonderful. How do I adjust this recipe for pies? Do I cook the (homemade) pie crust before filling it and cooking it (at what temperature).

    Thank you for your assistance,
    Suz

  18. Sonya says

    May 07, 2016 at 11:28 am

    Cool! I will look for that chocolate if and when they come to town!

  19. Anna says

    May 03, 2016 at 6:02 pm

    Good luck getting an Aldi. They have really good prices on eggs, milk and produce. They also have inexpensive but good chocolate bars called Choceur.

  20. Sonya says

    May 03, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    Anna, that's right, I do remember hearing something like that! Thanks for reminding me! We are probably getting an Aldi's nearby soon, so I will check out my favorite Trader Joe's products there (their semisweet chocolate chips, sun-dried tomatoes, and some cheeses that are my favorite brands, and of course these cherries...

  21. Anna says

    May 03, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    Sonya, I think Aldi owns Trader Joe's or the family that owns Aldi owns both. I'm not sure, but they are related and some of the products are similar. I love both stores.

  22. Sonya says

    May 03, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    We don't have an Aldi's yet, but cooks Illustrated tried a bunch of cherries in pie and found that the Morello cherries from Trader Joe's were the best. They didn't mention Aldi's which perhaps are the same or similar? Anyway, they are tasty!

  23. Anna says

    May 02, 2016 at 3:34 pm

    I got these at Aldi, but I think they are pretty much the same as Trader Joe's.

  24. catlady says

    May 02, 2016 at 1:41 pm

    are these the cherries sold by trader joe's?

  25. Anna says

    May 02, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    Agreed! I didn't need any food coloring, though. I used the ones from Aldi and they liquid is already bright red.

  26. Wuster Bakes says

    May 02, 2016 at 12:28 pm

    Yes - these are some of the best cherries you can use for pies! They hold up extremely well under baking, taste great, plus you don't need to pit any cherries! If desired to improve the color, you can add a drop or two of red gel food coloring.

Peanut Butter Fudge Jumbles recipe baked in a 9-inch square Pampered Chef stoneware pan.

Hello!

I'm Anna, and welcome to Cookie Madness. To learn more about me, check the About page.

About

Footer

About

Privacy

Contact

    Cookie Madness is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    © All rights reserved. Do not copy, distribute, or reproduce without permission.