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 1/8″ 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!
Classic Cherry Pie
Equipment
- 9 inch pie pan
- Rolling Pin
- Food processor
Materials
Flaky Pie Crust
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour 390g
- 1 cup + 6 T unsalted butter, cold 311g
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅔ cup water ice cold (5.3oz)
- 1 egg for egg wash
- ¼ cup sliced almonds optional
- 1 T turbinado sugar optional
Cherry Filling
- 5 cups fresh cherries pitted
- 3 T cornstarch
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ lemon freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Cube the butter into 1/2" 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.
- Pulse the mixture until the butter reaches pea-sized pieces and looks crumbly. Add in the ⅔ cup ice cold water, and pulse again until the dough starts to form a ball..
- 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.
- Make the cherry filling while your dough rests (see "Cherry Filling" below for instructions).
- Once properly chilled, remove from the fridge and wait about 15 minutes for the dough to slightly come to temperature. This will help you roll out your dough without it cracking. Lightly flour your 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 your pie dish. Continue to lightly flour your surface if the dough begins to stick.
- Carefully transfer your dough to your pie dish, pressing it into place on the bottom and sides (there will be overhang), then place into the fridge.
- While the bottom crust is in the fridge, roll out your second piece of dough following the same steps above. Using a ruler, cut your lattice strips evenly to the desired thickness. You can do this with a knife or pizza cutter. If you have never made a lattice crust before, I’d suggest watching this quick tutorial linked in the post.
- Remove your prepared pie dish and add the cooled cherry filling, spreading lightly to evenly distribute.
- 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 and crimp the edges, then place the whole pie into the fridge for 30 – 60 minutes. This will help to prevent your pie crust from shrinking.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Remove the pie from the fridge, and egg wash all parts of the crust. Sprinkle sliced almonds and turbinado sugar on top of the lattice, if using.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425 F, then lower the temperature to 375 F and continue baking for 45 – 60 minutes until the cherry juices are bubbling slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 5 hours.
Cherry Filling
- Pit 5 cups of fresh cherries, keeping 4 cups of the cherries whole, and cutting the final cup of cherries into halves. This helps to fill any gaps in the filling.
- Add 4 cups of whole cherries, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and lemon juice to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the cherries begin to create some juices and the filling thickens up, about 10 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally so nothing sticks or burns. You want to allow the juices to come to a slow boil for the final minute to cook out any cornstarch flavor and allow the filling to thicken.
- Remove from heat and add the cup of sliced cherries, almond and vanilla extracts, then set aside to cool.
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