I woke up this morning with a craving for cherry pie. I wanted to get fresh Michigan cherries from the farmers market, but they just weren’t in season at the time. So, I opted for Washington cherries at my grocery store. This recipe uses my “go to” crust using flour, butter and cream cheese. It’s a fool proof crust and you can make it in a food processor. Also, have some vanilla ice cream handy to go with this pie…it’s the perfect accompaniment.
Sweet Cherrie Pie
makes one 9” pie
Ingredients
Pie Crusts
2 1/2 cu All Purpose Flour
12 tbl Unsalted Butter
6 oz Cream Cheese
Pie Filling
5 cu Fresh Sweet Cherries
1 cu Granulated Sugar
1/4 cu Corn Starch
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tbl Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
1 tsp Vanilla
2 tbl Unsalted Butter
1/4 cu Milk
Additional Sugar to Sprinkle On The Crust before baking
Method
Prepare pie crusts by placing ingredients in a food processor and processing until dough comes together. Transfer all ingredients to a clean surface and form into two balls. Flatten them down to large disks with about a 6” diameter and cover tightly with plastic. Refrigerate for at least an hour. If you don’t have a food processor, use a pasty cutter to mix ingredients together and then work with your hands until dough comes together. Special Note: If you are going to make a fancy top crust, you may need to make another half recipe of this dough.
Remove the stems and pit the cherries. Slice them in half and place them in a large bowl. Add cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir the mixture to combine all the ingredients and set it aside for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out one of you pie crusts and transfer it to a 9” pie pan, letting the sides extend over the sides. After the cherries have rested for 30 minutes, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the pie pan. Discard the remaining juices left behind. Dice the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and dot the cherrie filling with them.
Roll out the second pie crust. The simplest method of covering the pie is to roll the dough around your rolling pin and then unroll it over the filled pie. Overlap the edges of the upper and lower crust and crimp them together. Trim off any excess dough that extends further than 1” from the edge of the pan. Using your thumb and forefinger of one hand and your forefinger in the other, create a fluted pattern with the crust.
If you want to be more adventurous, roll out the second pie crust and cut it into 1” strips and create an overlapping lattice work pattern on top of the crust. I took it one step further and added the pulp and juice of two minced cherries along with 6 drops of red food coloring to half of the dough. Then, I alternated the the strips to create a more colorful patten with the crust.
Brush the milk over the crust using a pasty brush. Sprinkle granulated sugar on top of the crust and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 55 minute to an one hour. Tent the pie if the crust begins to brown too much before baking is done.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for at least 2 hours before slicing. That will allow the thickened juices to firm up.
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Be sure to check out my other recipes, travel tips, and craft projects on my YouTube channel and on my website at http://www.waynesweekend.com