
Is there anything more iconic than a classic cherry pie? The queen of pies, if you ask me, and the fruit pie I will choose time and time again as my #1 choice!
Honestly, the most tedious part of this pie is pitting the cherries and minimizing what looks to be a bloody mess. This is practically unavoidable, and it's definitely a good idea to prank your significant other screaming with your hands up to give them a reallll good scare.
Back to the pie. Does it take a little bit TLC? Yes. Is it overly difficult? Not at all. I think a lot of people see a pie recipe and automatically flip past it or think they can't do it because of horror stories of a dreaded soggy bottom!
Well guess what? It's time to pull out that apron and rolling pin (or wine bottle, whatever works) and MAKE A CHERRY PIE!! It's the heart of cherry season, so let's get to it!
For detailed instructions on how to make this pie crust, follow my All-Butter Pie Crust recipe post.
Tips to make the best cherry pie of your life:
- When rolling out the dough for the bottom of your pie, be absolutely sure not to roll it too thin, especially where it will hit the middle of your pie dish. You want it to be ⅛" thickness the whole way through.
- Never made a lattice crust? Don't fear! Watch this quick tutorial to walk you right through it. Easy peasy.
- Don't skip any of the time it needs to rest in the fridge once assembled. This will ensure you get the best crust possible!
- Use a clear glass pie dish (if you have it). This allows you to peek at the bottom of your pie to see if it's appropriately browned or not.
- Check the bottom around the 45 minute mark. If it still has a way to go to brown, move the pie to the lower third of the oven for the final 15 or so minutes and this will do the trick.
- If the top is getting too brown before the filling is bubbly and ready, lightly place a piece of foil over the top
Finally, I like to reserve a cup of sliced raw cherries to provide a bit more texture to the pie. The sliced pieces also help to fill in any gaps left from the whole cherries to make sure it's packed to the brim with deliciousness!
Enjoy!
Cherry Rhubarb Pie
Equipment
- 9 inch pie pan
- Rolling Pin
- Food processor
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup water ice cold
- 1 egg for egg wash
- ¼ cup sliced almonds optional
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar optional
Cherry Rhubarb Filling
- 3 cups sweet cherries fresh or frozen, pitted
- 2 cups rhubarb fresh or frozen, cut into ½” pieces
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Cube the butter into ½" pieces and place in the freezer. In a bowl, add the water and some ice cubes and set aside. Using a food processor, add the flour and salt to the bowl and pulse to combine. Disperse the butter cold butter evenly over the flour around the bowl.3¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup + 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅔ cup water ice cold, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pulse the mixture until the butter reaches pea-sized pieces and looks crumbly. Add in about half of the ice cold water (through the chute), and pulse again until the dough starts to form a ball, adding more water as necessary until it presses together nicely, but it should not feel wet.
- Remove the dough, separate into two even pieces, then flatten into one-inch discs and wrap each piece of dough in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 1-2 hours. You will need both discs of dough for this recipe.
Cherry Rhubarb Filling
- If not using frozen, pit the fresh cherries. Keep 1 cup of the cherries whole, and cut the additional 2 cups of cherries into halves. This helps to fill any gaps in the filling.3 cups sweet cherries
- Add the cherries, sliced rhubarb, almond, and vanilla extracts to a large bowl and mix to combine.2 cups rhubarb, ½ teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, then add to the fruit and mix again to combine and coat the fruit completely.¾ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Assembly
- Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge and wait about 15 minutes for the dough to slightly come to temperature. This will help you roll out the dough without it cracking. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface, then roll out one disc of dough until it’s about ⅛ inch thick and is at least 2 inches wider than the pie dish. Continue to lightly flour the work surface and pin if the dough begins to stick.
- Carefully transfer the dough to the pie dish, pressing it into place on the bottom and sides (there will be an overhang), then place it into the fridge.
- While the bottom crust is in the fridge, roll out the second piece of dough following the same steps above. Using a ruler, cut the lattice strips evenly to the desired thickness (at least one inch). Do this with a knife or pizza cutter.
- Mix the fruit filling again, then add it to the bottom of the pie crust, being sure to scrape out all sugar and cornstarch leftover in the bowl.
- Whip up the egg in a small bowl and brush just the sides of the pie crust to help the lattice strips adhere. Then, lay your lattice strips and assemble. Trim the edges with kitchen shears to ½ inch, then tuck them under themselves.1 egg for egg wash
- Place the whole pie into the fridge while the oven preheats. This will help to prevent the pie crust from shrinking.
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Remove the pie from the fridge, and eggwash all parts of the lattice and crust. Sprinkle sliced almonds and turbinado sugar on top of the lattice, if using.¼ cup sliced almonds, 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425℉, then lower the temperature to 375℉ and continue baking for 45 - 60 minutes until the juices are bubbling up through the lattice. Transfer the pie to the bottom third of the oven for the final 15 minutes of baking to ensure a cooked bottom.
- Cool the pie completely on a wire rack before slicing in, about 4-5 hours. Cutting into the pie before it has cooled and set will have the juices running all over the place. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
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