Maple Walnuts
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Historic recipe from Malinda Russell's 1866 cookbook "A Domestic Cook Book". Page 21. One of the earliest known cookbooks by an African American author.
Cooking the cherry juice separately and adding it after baking prevents a soggy bottom crust—a common pie problem caused by fruit releasing excess moisture during baking. The sweet cream enriches the syrup while its fat content helps balance the cherries' tartness and creates a luxurious, custard-like consistency. Removing the top crust to add the cream syrup ensures even distribution and prevents the filling from being too dry, while the pre-baked crust maintains its structural integrity.
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Stem and stone the fruit.
Paste a large pudding dish, take out the cherries from the juice, fill the dish and cover with paste; set in the oven to bake, boil the juice quite thick, sweeten to your taste.
When cold, add one pint sweet cream to the syrup; take off the top crust and turn the syrup over the cherries, returning the crust.
The pie dough can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. The cherry juice can be reduced and sweetened 1 day ahead; store covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before adding cream. The fully assembled pie is best served the day it's made.
This cream-enriched pie is highly perishable and must be refrigerated within 2 hours of assembly. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and consume within 24 hours for food safety. The cream syrup will begin to weep and soften the crust after the first day. Not recommended for freezing due to the cream component.
