Fresh Cherry PIE

Name: Fresh Cherry PIE
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1 recipe Basic Pie or Pastry Dough, All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough, or a double recipe Cream Cheese Pastry Dough; 5 cups pitted sour, Bing, or Rainier cherries (2 to 2 ½ lb or 910g to 1.135kg); 1 ¼ cups (250g) sugar for sour cherries, ¾ cup (150g) for Bing or Rainier cherries; ⅓ cup tapioca starch (40g) or cornstarch (45g); 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30g) lemon juice (use the smaller amount for tart cherries); (¼ teaspoon almond extract); 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces; (1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

30m Prep Time
1h 15mCook Time
2h Ready In

Cuisine : American
Course : Dessert

One 9-inch double-crust pie This cherry pie is so good it’ll kill ya. Sour cherries, like Montmorency, make the best pie, but ripe Bing or Rainier cherries will certainly do. Please read About Crusts Baked with Fillings.

Ingredients

Servings:

½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×

(8 servings) Units:

As Written US Metric

Show sub-recipe ingredients

1 1 recipe Basic Pie or Pastry Dough, All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough, or a double recipe Cream Cheese Pastry Dough (opens in new tab)
- 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- (1 teaspoon sugar, for sweet pies)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chilled lard (155g) or vegetable shortening (145g), cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons (45g) cold butter, cut into cubes
- 6 tablespoons (90g) ice water mixed with 1 tablespoon distilled white or cider vinegar
- 1 to 3 teaspoons ice water
Sub-recipe steps
1. Whisk together in a medium bowl or pulse briefly in a food processor: 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour; (1 teaspoon sugar, for sweet pies); ½ teaspoon salt
2. Have ready: ¾ cup chilled lard (155g) or vegetable shortening (145g), cut into small pieces; 3 tablespoons (45g) cold butter, cut into cubes
3. If mixing the dough by hand, place half of the cubes on the flour mixture and using a pastry blender or fingertips, lightly work it in until it has the consistency of oats. Add the remaining pieces of fat and rub into the flour, flattening them between your fingers until they are roughly pea-sized or a little larger with some larger, flattened pieces. If using a food processor, add all the fat at once and pulse until most of it is in pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle the dough with: 6 tablespoons (90g) ice water mixed with 1 tablespoon distilled white or cider vinegar
4. Blend the water gently into the dough with a silicone spatula or pulse until it just holds together. If the dough is still dry and crumbly, add: 1 to 3 teaspoons ice water
5. The dough should not be wet or sticky but should hold together when squeezed. Divide the dough in half, shape each into a disk, and roll out immediately as directed in Rolling Pie Dough, or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Prepare as directed in Lining a Pie or Tart Pan with Dough. To fill and bake, see individual recipes. For a baked shell, see About Blind Baking Crusts.
5 cups pitted sour, Bing, or Rainier cherries (2 to 2 ½ lb or 910g to 1.135kg)
1 ¼ cups (250g) sugar for sour cherries, ¾ cup (150g) for Bing or Rainier cherries
⅓ cup tapioca starch (40g) or cornstarch (45g)
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30g) lemon juice (use the smaller amount for tart cherries)
(¼ teaspoon almond extract)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
(1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

Let's Prepare

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1 1 recipe Basic Pie or Pastry Dough, All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough, or a double recipe Cream Cheese Pastry Dough
5 cups pitted sour, Bing, or Rainier cherries (2 to 2 ½ lb or 910g to 1.135kg)
1 ¼ cups (250g) sugar for sour cherries, ¾ cup (150g) for Bing or Rainier cherries
⅓ cup tapioca starch (40g) or cornstarch (45g)
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30g) lemon juice (use the smaller amount for tart cherries)
(¼ teaspoon almond extract)
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
(1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)

Let's Cook

Step 1.

Prepare: 1 recipe Basic Pie or Pastry Dough, All-Butter Pie or Pastry Dough, or a double recipe Cream Cheese Pastry Dough
Step 2.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with half the dough.
Step 3.

Combine in a large bowl and let stand for 15 minutes: 5 cups pitted sour, Bing, or Rainier cherries (2 to 2 ½ lb or 910g to 1.135kg); 1 ¼ cups (250g) sugar for sour cherries, ¾ cup (150g) for Bing or Rainier cherries; ⅓ cup tapioca starch (40g) or cornstarch (45g); 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30g) lemon juice (use the smaller amount for tart cherries); (¼ teaspoon almond extract)
Step 4.

Pour the mixture into the bottom crust and dot with: 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Step 5.

Cover with a pricked or vented top crust or a lattice, and freeze the pie for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 1 hour to chill the crust. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 6.

For a bronzed crust, brush the top of the pie with: (1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
Step 7.

Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until thick juices bubble through the vents, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.