THE MOST INCREDIBLE CHERRY PIE
Friday, November 22, 2019
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Cherry Pie is definitely one of my favorite pie desserts – I love the tartness of the cherries combined with flaky pastry. This cherry pie recipe is perfect for that special someone and works great for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and birthdays.
My other favorite pie recipes include Nutella Pie, Apple Pie Fries and Blueberry Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches.
You could easily make this Cherry Pie with refrigerated pie crust and canned cherry pie filling, but I took it one step further and used my favorite homemade Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust recipe and homemade cherry filling.
STEP 1: MAKE PIE CRUST
There are 4 ingredients for a classic Pie Crust recipe: flour, salt, butter and water.
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, and mix well. Add cold unsalted butter cubes, mix and then add ice water until moist clumps are formed.
Make the mixture into a ball and divide into two rounds. Refrigerate and then roll them out. These are basic steps to make pie crust. To make a perfect flaky pie crust, you can find all the tips and tricks in our classic Pie Crust Recipe.
STEP 2: MAKE CHERRY FILING
Pit Cherries: If you don’t have a cherry pitter in your kitchen, you can use a trick using an empty beer bottle and a chopstick. Here’s how to do it:
Pitting Cherries Without a Cherry Pitter
Place the washed cherry on top of an empty beer bottle (or water bottle, wine bottle, etc). The stem faces down.
Use a chopstick to push down in the center of the cherry
The pit will pop out into the bottle
Make the filing:
Add the pitted cherries to a medium saucepan over heat. Cook for a few minutes when you see juice coming out of cherries. Then add sugar and cornstarch to the saucepan and stir. Mix well. Add lemon juice, vanilla extract and almond extract.
Stir and cook until thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool. (if the filling is too thick, you can add more water, if it’s too thin, add more cornstarch)
The Magic of Cornstarch
If you’ve had trouble before pie filling proportions, here is an easy tip to get the perfect filling every single time. You don’t have to use the exact amount of cornstarch a recipe calls for, but rather adjust based on how juicy your sauce is.
Simply add only enough cornstarch to avoid a filling that’s too soupy or too dry. Note: Your filling could be a little runny when it’s hot, but will firm up when placed in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Even when it returns to room temperature, it’ll remain firm.
STEP 3: ADD CHERRY FILING TO PIE DOUGH
Butter the pie plate and transfer the rolled out dough to the plate. Gently press the dough into bottom and side of plate.
Add cooled cherry filing to the pie plate on top of pie dough.
Arrange heart shaped lattice: Roll out another dough disk. Use a cookie cutter to make heart shaped holes in the dough (watch video for guidance)
Place the second piece of dough with “hearts” on top of cherry fillings.
Seal edges and trim extra.
Cover the plate with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
STEP 4: BAKE
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Brush the top crust with egg wash. This will give the crust a golden and glossy sheen when it’s cooked.
Bake for 20 minutes uncovered, and another 15 to 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
Serve with ice cream and enjoy!
HOW TO SERVE CHERRY PIE
Make sure to let your cherry pie to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before slicing. Otherwise, it tends to fall apart easily. Best to serve with ice cream.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHERRIES FOR CHERRY PIE
There are two types of cherries: sweet cherries and sour cherries. Sweet cherries are commonly found fresh at the supermarket in the summer months, while sour cherries are more often found frozen.
Sour Cherries: Traditional cherry pies are made of sour cherries, and that’s why sour cherries are also called pie cherries. They are also called tart cherries. They’re less common than sweet cherries, but if you are using sour cherries, make sure to use less lemon juice and more sugar than this recipe calls for.
Sweet Cherries: Sweet cherries include dark sweet cherries and rainier cherries. Dark sweet cherries have deep red color, while rainier cherries are very sweet with a yellow and red blush. Sweet cherries are widely available, especially in the summer. I used sweet cherries in this recipe.
USING LEFTOVER PIE DOUGH OR CHERRY FILLING
If you have leftover pie dough or cherry filling, don’t throw it away. You can use them to make Mini Cherry Pies or a Cherry Pie Pull Apart.
The Most Incredible Cherry Pie – mouthwatering sweet and tangy cherry fillings with a light and flaky crust, served with ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. This easy and delicious Classic Cherry Pie is the perfect dessert for that special someone.
prep time: 20 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 4 hrs 40 mins
Ingredients
Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and diced
4 - 8 tbsp ice water
Filling
2 pounds unpitted sweet cherries or 5 cups pitted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 to 4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
egg wash, 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water, mix well
vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Crust
In a large bowl, add all-purpose flour and salt, then mix well.
Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add into the bowl. Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add ice water gradually to form moist clumps (best to add 1 tablespoon at a time).
Transfer dough mixture onto a dry board sprinkled with flour. Use the heel of your hand and smear the dough little by little across the board.
Make the dough into a ball, and divide in half. Form each into a ball, and then flatten into rounds. Wrap separately in plastic or place in zip-lock bags. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Flour a work surface. Remove one round from fridge and roll it out to about 12 inches across using a rolling pin.
Butter the pie plate and transfer the pie dough to the plate, pressing the bottom and edges into place.
Filling
Add pitted cherries to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until you see juice coming out of cherries.
Add sugar and cornstarch to the saucepan and stir. Mix well.
Add lemon juice, vanilla extract and almond extract. Stir and cook until thickened.
Taste test and add more sugar or lemon juice according to your preference.
Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, you can add more water, if it’s too thin, add more cornstarch.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Add cherry filling.
For another rolled out pie dough, cut small hearts using a heart shaped cookie cutter (see video).
Seal and trim the edges and bake for 20 minutes uncovered, and another 15 to 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
Serve with ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
-If you want to save time, use refrigerated pie crusts instead of homemade crusts, and canned cherry pie filling instead of homemade filling.
Nutrition
calories: 495kcal, carbohydrates: 64g, protein: 5g, fat: 25g, saturated fat: 15g, cholesterol: 64mg, sodium: 149mg, potassium: 300mg, fiber: 3g, sugar: 31g, vitamin a: 16.5%, vitamin c: 10.5%, calcium: 2.7%, iron: 12.3%
My other favorite pie recipes include Nutella Pie, Apple Pie Fries and Blueberry Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches.
You could easily make this Cherry Pie with refrigerated pie crust and canned cherry pie filling, but I took it one step further and used my favorite homemade Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust recipe and homemade cherry filling.
STEP 1: MAKE PIE CRUST
There are 4 ingredients for a classic Pie Crust recipe: flour, salt, butter and water.
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, and mix well. Add cold unsalted butter cubes, mix and then add ice water until moist clumps are formed.
Make the mixture into a ball and divide into two rounds. Refrigerate and then roll them out. These are basic steps to make pie crust. To make a perfect flaky pie crust, you can find all the tips and tricks in our classic Pie Crust Recipe.
STEP 2: MAKE CHERRY FILING
Pit Cherries: If you don’t have a cherry pitter in your kitchen, you can use a trick using an empty beer bottle and a chopstick. Here’s how to do it:
Pitting Cherries Without a Cherry Pitter
Place the washed cherry on top of an empty beer bottle (or water bottle, wine bottle, etc). The stem faces down.
Use a chopstick to push down in the center of the cherry
The pit will pop out into the bottle
Make the filing:
Add the pitted cherries to a medium saucepan over heat. Cook for a few minutes when you see juice coming out of cherries. Then add sugar and cornstarch to the saucepan and stir. Mix well. Add lemon juice, vanilla extract and almond extract.
Stir and cook until thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool. (if the filling is too thick, you can add more water, if it’s too thin, add more cornstarch)
The Magic of Cornstarch
If you’ve had trouble before pie filling proportions, here is an easy tip to get the perfect filling every single time. You don’t have to use the exact amount of cornstarch a recipe calls for, but rather adjust based on how juicy your sauce is.
Simply add only enough cornstarch to avoid a filling that’s too soupy or too dry. Note: Your filling could be a little runny when it’s hot, but will firm up when placed in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Even when it returns to room temperature, it’ll remain firm.
STEP 3: ADD CHERRY FILING TO PIE DOUGH
Butter the pie plate and transfer the rolled out dough to the plate. Gently press the dough into bottom and side of plate.
Add cooled cherry filing to the pie plate on top of pie dough.
Arrange heart shaped lattice: Roll out another dough disk. Use a cookie cutter to make heart shaped holes in the dough (watch video for guidance)
Place the second piece of dough with “hearts” on top of cherry fillings.
Seal edges and trim extra.
Cover the plate with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
STEP 4: BAKE
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Brush the top crust with egg wash. This will give the crust a golden and glossy sheen when it’s cooked.
Bake for 20 minutes uncovered, and another 15 to 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
Serve with ice cream and enjoy!
HOW TO SERVE CHERRY PIE
Make sure to let your cherry pie to cool completely (at least 2 hours) before slicing. Otherwise, it tends to fall apart easily. Best to serve with ice cream.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHERRIES FOR CHERRY PIE
There are two types of cherries: sweet cherries and sour cherries. Sweet cherries are commonly found fresh at the supermarket in the summer months, while sour cherries are more often found frozen.
Sour Cherries: Traditional cherry pies are made of sour cherries, and that’s why sour cherries are also called pie cherries. They are also called tart cherries. They’re less common than sweet cherries, but if you are using sour cherries, make sure to use less lemon juice and more sugar than this recipe calls for.
Sweet Cherries: Sweet cherries include dark sweet cherries and rainier cherries. Dark sweet cherries have deep red color, while rainier cherries are very sweet with a yellow and red blush. Sweet cherries are widely available, especially in the summer. I used sweet cherries in this recipe.
USING LEFTOVER PIE DOUGH OR CHERRY FILLING
If you have leftover pie dough or cherry filling, don’t throw it away. You can use them to make Mini Cherry Pies or a Cherry Pie Pull Apart.
The Most Incredible Cherry Pie – mouthwatering sweet and tangy cherry fillings with a light and flaky crust, served with ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. This easy and delicious Classic Cherry Pie is the perfect dessert for that special someone.
prep time: 20 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 4 hrs 40 mins
Ingredients
Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and diced
4 - 8 tbsp ice water
Filling
2 pounds unpitted sweet cherries or 5 cups pitted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 to 4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
egg wash, 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water, mix well
vanilla ice cream
Instructions
Crust
In a large bowl, add all-purpose flour and salt, then mix well.
Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add into the bowl. Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add ice water gradually to form moist clumps (best to add 1 tablespoon at a time).
Transfer dough mixture onto a dry board sprinkled with flour. Use the heel of your hand and smear the dough little by little across the board.
Make the dough into a ball, and divide in half. Form each into a ball, and then flatten into rounds. Wrap separately in plastic or place in zip-lock bags. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Flour a work surface. Remove one round from fridge and roll it out to about 12 inches across using a rolling pin.
Butter the pie plate and transfer the pie dough to the plate, pressing the bottom and edges into place.
Filling
Add pitted cherries to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until you see juice coming out of cherries.
Add sugar and cornstarch to the saucepan and stir. Mix well.
Add lemon juice, vanilla extract and almond extract. Stir and cook until thickened.
Taste test and add more sugar or lemon juice according to your preference.
Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, you can add more water, if it’s too thin, add more cornstarch.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Add cherry filling.
For another rolled out pie dough, cut small hearts using a heart shaped cookie cutter (see video).
Seal and trim the edges and bake for 20 minutes uncovered, and another 15 to 20 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
Serve with ice cream and enjoy!
Notes
-If you want to save time, use refrigerated pie crusts instead of homemade crusts, and canned cherry pie filling instead of homemade filling.
Nutrition
calories: 495kcal, carbohydrates: 64g, protein: 5g, fat: 25g, saturated fat: 15g, cholesterol: 64mg, sodium: 149mg, potassium: 300mg, fiber: 3g, sugar: 31g, vitamin a: 16.5%, vitamin c: 10.5%, calcium: 2.7%, iron: 12.3%