Learn to make a cherry pie! This straightforward recipe encompasses a velvety, almond-scented cherry pie filling and a flaky all-butter crust. It is SO scrumptious!
I’m a cherry pie fanatic. Nicely, actually, I’m an all-kinds-of-pie fanatic, however I’ll all the time have a tender spot for cherry pie particularly. For me, it’s a nostalgic deal with. It jogs my memory of visiting my grandma on her farm in Kansas through the summer season once I was a child. She had a grove of tart cherry bushes, and if we timed our go to proper, we’d be there when the branches had been heavy with ruby purple fruit. All these bitter cherries meant one factor: we’d be making a selfmade cherry pie. Possibly two, if we had been fortunate.
This bitter cherry pie recipe is predicated on hers. It encompasses a buttery, flaky crust and a velvety, almond-scented filling. Should you enable it to chill fully, it slices fantastically, however the filling nonetheless stays a tiny bit juicy so as to savor the feel of the scrumptious summer season fruit.
Only a heads up: the pie dough has to relax and the filling has to chill earlier than you’ll be able to assemble and bake the pie. So, although the recipe is straightforward to make, it does take a while. If you wish to get forward, you may make each the crust and the filling a day or two upfront – discover my ideas within the submit beneath. I hope you’re keen on this cherry pie recipe as a lot as I do!
Cherry Pie Recipe Elements
Right here’s what you’ll have to make this cherry pie recipe:
- Cherries, after all! Skip the candy cherries! Tart cherries, additionally known as bitter cherries, are finest on this recipe. Today, I largely use frozen cherries in my pie filling, as they’re available year-round. Plus, they prevent the work of pitting the cherries your self. When you have quick access to contemporary bitter cherries, although, they’ll work right here too. You’ll want 2 kilos after you pit them, about 5 cups.
- Cornstarch and water – They create a slurry that thickens the cherry pie filling.
- Cane sugar – It sweetens the tart cherry filling.
- Cinnamon and floor ginger – For heat depth of taste.
- Almond extract – In line with my grandma, it’s a cherry pie important! I like the almond taste with the cherries, too.
- Homemade pie crust – Discover my flaky all-butter pie crust recipe right here! You might substitute store-bought pie dough in a pinch.
- An egg – You’ll beat it with somewhat water to make an egg wash for the crust.
- Coarse sugar – Elective, however scrumptious. It provides sparkle and sweetness to the highest of the crust.
- And vanilla ice cream – For serving.
Discover the entire recipe with measurements beneath.
The way to Make Cherry Pie Filling
The important thing to creating an awesome cherry pie filling is thickening the cherry juices on the range earlier than you add the filling to the pie. This straightforward step will reduce the quantity of juice that seeps into the underside crust and results in sogginess. It’ll additionally assist the pie slice properly as soon as it cools. Right here’s how I make my filling:
- Begin with 2 kilos of thawed frozen cherries. Place the cherries in a strainer set over a bowl to seize their juices. Measure 1 cup of the juice. Should you don’t have 1 cup, microwave the cherries for 15 seconds or so, they usually’ll launch extra juice. Repeat till you’ve got 1 cup of cherry juice. Save any additional for an additional use.
- Then, make a cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the cornstarch and water till clean.
- Subsequent, thicken the juices. Place the 1 cup cherry juice in a small saucepan and convey to a boil. Stir within the sugar and return the combination to a boil. As soon as the sugar dissolves, add the cornstarch slurry and stir till the combination thickens. It’ll change into clear, clean, and shiny.
- Lastly, combine up the filling. Switch the thickened cherry juices to a big bowl with the cherries. Stir within the spices, almond extract, and a pinch of salt.
Then, enable the filling to chill fully. Should you’ve ever made selfmade pie dough, you recognize that the secret is preserving it chilly till it goes within the oven. To assist maintain it chilly, we wish to add a cool filling to it, not a heat one. Plus, letting the filling cool will give it an opportunity to thicken much more. At this stage, the thicker, the higher!
Assembling the Pie
So, you’ve made the cherry pie filling, and it’s cooled fully. You’ve made the pie dough, and it’s chilled for at the very least two hours. It’s time to assemble the pie!
First, roll out the crust in line with the directions on this recipe. Stick it within the fridge to relax for half-hour.
In the meantime, preheat the oven. Organize a rack within the backside third of the oven, and set a baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 425°F with the baking sheet inside it.
Then, assemble the pie! Pour the cooled filling into the underside crust.
Subsequent, weave a lattice on prime. Slice the highest crust into 1-inch strips. Organize 4 or 5 strips crosswise excessive of the pie. Weave 4 or 5 strips via them to make a lattice.
Pull again the strips as essential to weave.
Trim the perimeters of the lattice, then fold the sting of the underside crust up and over it in order that the sting of the dough is in step with the sting of your pie plate.
Crimp the dough together with your fingers or a fork.
Brush the egg wash onto the lattice. Tip: JUST the lattice! The perimeters of the dough will brown on their very own, so there’s no have to brush it onto them.
Sprinkle on the coarse sugar.
Lastly, bake. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet within the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then scale back the warmth to 375°F and bake till the filling is effervescent and the crust is golden brown.
Now for the laborious half! Permit the pie to chill fully earlier than you slice it. This can take about 4 hours. It is likely to be laborious to withstand digging in immediately, however permitting the pie to chill absolutely is CRUCIAL for getting a clear slice.
Straightforward Cherry Pie Recipe Suggestions
- Preserve the pie dough chilly. Once you bake an all-butter pie crust, you need the butter within the pie dough to soften within the oven, creating attractive flaky layers. You don’t need the butter to soften earlier than the pie is within the oven. If it does, these tasty layers received’t occur. So, for the most effective outcomes, maintain the dough chilly whilst you assemble the pie. Chill it for at the very least 2 hours earlier than rolling it out. I additionally like to relax the dough for half-hour after I roll it out and ensure the filling is totally cool earlier than including it to the pie.
- Bake the pie on a scorching baking sheet within the decrease third of your oven. I bought this tip from Melissa Clark over at The New York Instances. The underside crust of a fruit pie is famously liable to sogginess. Setting the pie straight onto a preheated baking sheet helps the underside crust brown, as does positioning the pie within the decrease third of the oven. In most ovens, the heating components run alongside backside, so inserting the pie on a low rack brings the underside crust nearer to the warmth supply.
- Tent the pie with foil if it’s getting too brown. Your cherry pie is prepared when the crust is golden brown and the filling has been effervescent for a number of minutes. If the crust is getting too brown earlier than the filling is effervescent, tent it with foil to reduce extra browning.
- Permit the pie to chill fully earlier than you slice it. Should you slice and serve the pie whereas it’s nonetheless heat, the filling will ooze out of the crust. For a clear slice, let it cool fully, for about 4 hours, after you’re taking it out of the oven.
Greatest Cherry Pie Serving and Storing Recommendations
This cherry pie is finest on the day that it’s baked, however it retains properly for as much as 3 days. Cowl it and retailer it at room temperature till you polish off the final slice, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If all of the cooling and chilling time looks like rather a lot for someday, you may make each the pie dough and the filling upfront. Wrapped tightly in plastic, the pie dough retains nicely within the fridge for as much as 2 days. Saved in an hermetic container within the fridge, the cooked filling retains nicely for as much as 4. With each prepped forward of time, it’s straightforward to assemble, bake, and funky (and eat!) the pie in someday.
Take pleasure in!
Extra Favourite Fruity Desserts
Should you love this cherry pie recipe, strive one in every of these fruity desserts subsequent:
Cherry Pie
Serves 8
This bitter cherry pie recipe is a scrumptious summer season dessert, although it will probably simply be made with frozen cherries at any time of 12 months. You’ll want to enable the pie to chill fully earlier than you slice it, at the very least 4 hours, in order that the filling has an opportunity to arrange. To get forward, you may make the pie dough and the cherry pie filling a day or two upfront. See the submit above for ideas! This recipe makes 1 9- or 9.5-inch pie.
- 2 kilos frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed, juices reserved
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon floor ginger
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch salt
- 1 recipe Pie Crust, chilled at the very least 2 hours
- 1 giant egg
- Coarse sugar, non-obligatory
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
-
Place the cherries in a strainer set over a bowl to seize any extra juices. Measure 1 cup of the cherry juice to make use of within the pie.* Save any remaining juice for an additional use. Switch the cherries to a big bowl.
-
In a small bowl, stir collectively the cornstarch and ¼ cup of the water till clean. Put aside.
-
Place the 1 cup cherry juice in a small saucepan and convey to a boil. Add the sugar, stir, and return the combination to a boil. When the sugar is dissolved, add the water and cornstarch and stir till the combination thickens and turns into clear and shiny. Take away the pan from the warmth and pour the combination over the cherries. Stir within the cinnamon, ginger, almond extract, and salt. Permit to chill fully.
-
Make the underside crust. Comply with the directions within the pie crust recipe to roll out the underside crust, leaving a ½-inch overhang on all sides of the pie plate. Loosely cowl with plastic wrap and chill for half-hour. Organize an oven rack within the backside third of the oven. Place a baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 425°F with the baking sheet inside it.
-
In the meantime, make the highest crust. Use the identical technique to roll out the remaining pie dough into a big, ⅛-inch-thick circle. Switch it to a baking sheet, loosely cowl it with plastic wrap, and place within the fridge till the underside crust has chilled for half-hour.
-
Assemble the pie. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon water. Put aside.
-
Take away the underside crust from the fridge and pour within the cooled filling. Switch the highest crust to a slicing board and use a pointy knife or pizza cutter to chop it into 1-inch strips. Evenly house 4 to five strips crosswise over the pie. Weave 4 to five extra strips via the crosswise strips to create a lattice, pulling again the unique strips as essential to weave. Trim the perimeters of the lattice, then fold the perimeters of the underside crust up and over it in order that the sting of the dough is in step with the sting of your pie plate. Crimp the dough together with your fingers or a fork to seal.
-
Brush the lattice with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if utilizing. Place the pie on the new baking sheet within the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then scale back the warmth to 375°F and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or till the crust is golden brown and the filling has been effervescent for a number of minutes. If the perimeters of the crust begin to brown an excessive amount of earlier than the filling is effervescent, tent them with foil and proceed baking till the filling bubbles.
-
Permit to chill fully earlier than slicing and serving, at the very least 4 hours.
-
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
*Should you wouldn’t have 1 cup juice, microwave the cherries for 15 seconds, they usually’ll launch extra. Repeat till you’ve got 1 cup juice. Save any additional juice for an additional use.
