- 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 6 cups whole pitted fresh Bing cherries or other dark sweet cherries (about 2 3/4 pounds whole unpitted cherries)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
- 1 tablespoon (about) milk
- Ingredient tip: Vanilla paste is more concentrated and slightly thicker than vanilla extract, and includes the seeds of the vanilla bean. It's available at specialty foods stores and online from and .
- Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Stir brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in large nonstick skillet; stir in 1/2 cup water. Stir over medium heat until sugar and cornstarch dissolve. Add cherries; bring to boil, scraping sides of skillet and stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and lime peel. Transfer filling to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Place dish on rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk crème fraîche, vanilla, and lime peel in small bowl. Add crème fraîche mixture to dry ingredients; stir with fork just until dough begins to come together. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead just until dough holds together, about 6 turns. Gather dough into round; pat out to 1/2-inch thickness. Using 3-inch biscuit cutter or cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds. Gather dough scraps together; pat out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut out more dough rounds for a total of 6. Transfer rounds to another rimmed baking sheet; brush tops lightly with milk, then sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Place cherries on baking sheet in bottom third of oven and biscuits in top third of oven. Bake until cherries are bubbling and biscuits are golden, about 17 minutes.
- Divide warm cherries among 6 bowls; top each with 1 biscuit and serve.