My Favorite Cherry Pie in the History of Ever
User Reviews
4.5
My Favorite Cherry Pie in the History of Ever
Description
This cherry pie features a double crust, rolled cold to maintain flakiness. The filling mixes pitted sweet dark cherries with lemon juice, sugar, almond extract, salt, and a combination of tapioca starch and cornstarch to achieve a firm, non-gloppy texture. The filling is spread in the bottom crust, dotted with butter, and topped with a woven lattice crust, trimmed and sealed. Before baking, the pie is glazed with an egg yolk wash mixed with water and cream or milk to enhance browning and sheen.
The almond extract adds a distinctive complement to the cherries, lightly enhancing the flavor without overpowering. The use of tapioca starch combined with cornstarch provides a pleasing firmness to the filling. This pie can be made fully ahead of time and stored at room temperature, with reheating recommended before serving to restore warmth and texture. While originally made with fresh cherries, care must be taken to thaw and drain frozen cherries thoroughly if used, with adjustments to sugar and lemon juice depending on cherry sweetness and tartness.
The pie suits dessert occasions where a well-structured cherry filling and flaky crust are desired, and the lattice design offers an appealing visual presentation.
Ingredients
- pie dough double crust, 9-inch, see note for recipes
For the cherry pie filing:
- 5 cups sweet dark cherry pitted, about 2 pounds whole fruit, see note for sour pie cherries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1-2 medium lemons, fresh
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (use 1/4 teaspoon for table salt)
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch aka tapioca flour, see note
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon butter
Egg wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 teaspoons cream or milk
Instructions
- Keep all ingredients/pie crust as cold as possible throughout the making process to ensure the most delicious pie ever! Roll out bottom pie crust according to pie dough recipe instructions and place in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate (I use a glass pie plate). Trim edges leaving 1/4-inch excess from outer rim of pie plate. Refrigerate until filling is ready.
- For the filling, in a large bowl, combine the pitted cherries, lemon juice, almond extract, sugar, salt, tapioca starch and cornstarch. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Roll out top crust to 10-inch diameter and cut into 10-12 strips (I like to cut thicker 3/4- to 1-inch strips).
- Scoop cherry pie filling evenly into refrigerated bottom crust, scraping out all the sugar and liquid. Dot the top with 1 tablespoon butter (pinched or cut into small pieces).
- Weave strips on top of the filling for a lattice crust (see above pictures in post for how-to). Trim lattice strips evenly with bottom crust. Fold bottom crust up and over evenly with edge of pie plate and press/pinch to seal. Flute the edges of the pie crust.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour to make sure the top crust is completely chilled.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. For the egg wash, whisk together the egg yolk, water and cream/milk. Brush the mixture over the top pie crust.
- Place the pie on a parchment or foil-lined baking pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly and thickened (will thicken more as it cools). The exact time will depend on type of pie plate, thickness of crust, if pie was refrigerated, etc. {The pie will be soupy even after cooling if it doesn't bake long enough, so err on the side of adding extra time - even up to 75 minutes total. Tent the top and sides of the pie loosely with foil to prevent the crust from over browning or burning.}
- Let the pie cool for 2-3 hours before serving (if it's too warm, the filling will be soupy). The pie can be covered and kept at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Keep pie dough ingredients and rolled crusts as cold as possible to ensure a flaky crust.
- If using frozen cherries, thaw and drain thoroughly to avoid excess moisture; adjust sugar accordingly.
- For sour pie cherries, reduce lemon juice to 1 teaspoon and increase sugar to 1 cup or more to balance tartness.
- The almond extract adds a subtle complementary flavor important to the recipe; do not omit.
- Using a combination of tapioca starch and cornstarch gives a firm yet smooth cherry filling without being clumpy.
- The pie can be made 1-2 days ahead and stored covered at room temperature; warm before serving for best texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Slices (Makes a 9-inch pie)
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Slice | |
| Calories | 367kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 59g | 20% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 334mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 30g | 60% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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