There’s nothing more American than cherry pie. People have written songs about the tasty, tart dessert and it’s the favorite complement to coffee for Twin Peak’s character Dale Cooper. And there’s even a proud National Cherry Pie Day–which falls on February 20th, which is exactly when everyone needs a warm treat from the oven. The pie itself is usually made with tart rather than sweet cherries because it’s easier to control the sweetness of the pie, and lends a sharper taste. It’s still a popular taste with little kids, and allows you to give them a sweet dessert that seems safely full of old-fashioned goodness. [photo via flickr]
Although any cherry will do in a cherry pie, the most commonly used fresh cherries include the morello cherry and the black cherry. The cherry pie has a crust on top and a crust on the bottom, with a cherry filling in between. For added visual appeal, the top crust often is woven into a lattice design so the cherries peek out the top. This recipe from TasteOfHome.com is a typical cherry pie recipe with a few twists–including almond flavor and cinnamon for an irresistible treat.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup cherry juice blend
- 4 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
PASTRY:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup shortening
- 5 to 7 tablespoons cold water
Directions
- In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in cherry juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and extract; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add cold water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Divide pastry in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger ball to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate; trim even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges.
- Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; bake 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
This pie yields 8 servings.
