I'm known among my family and friends for my cherry pie. It is one of the first things I learned to cook. My friend Janis taught me how. There is really only one secret and it has to be followed. It's the cherries. You MUST use tart pie cherries. It makes all the difference. Not a filling or sweet cherries or a combination of cherries. Only tart cherries.
Start with the crust. For the flakiest crust, you must use a lot of fat. Cut 1 1/4 cup of shortening into 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp. salt. Then add 7-8 tbs. of water (sometimes I use more). Dough will be a little sticky. That is why I use so much flour to roll out the dough. Divide into 2 discs.
I roll out one crust (this is a 10" crust) and place it into the bottom of the pie pan. Then, I mix up the filling. To two cans of tart pie cherries, add 1 3/4 - 2 c. sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1 tsp. almond extract. (You can add less cinnamon and almond extract if you want). Mix all together and pour into crust. Dot with two to three tablespoons of butter.
Roll out top crust. Cut into what ever size strips you want. Be creative and make fancy edges, make wide strips etc. I start with two strips; they make a cross in the center. Then I work outward, lifting strips to make a
basket weave. Roll edges inward around pie and crimp. Again, this is a place to get creative with the edges. Sometimes, I sprinkle a large grain sanding sugar on top. Bake in a 325 - 350 degree oven for about an hour. You just want to make sure the center is a solid not a liquid.
Voila. Pie. Cherry pie. I have a
Cuisinart ice cream machine and made a vanilla ice cream to go with it (kind of gilding the lily).
I'm known among my family and friends for my cherry pie. It is one of the first things I learned to cook. My friend Janis taught me how. There is really only one secret and it has to be followed. It's the cherries. You MUST use tart pie cherries. It makes all the difference. Not a filling or sweet cherries or a combination of cherries. Only tart cherries.
Start with the crust. For the flakiest crust, you must use a lot of fat. Cut 1 1/4 cup of shortening into 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp. salt. Then add 7-8 tbs. of water (sometimes I use more). Dough will be a little sticky. That is why I use so much flour to roll out the dough. Divide into 2 discs.
I roll out one crust (this is a 10" crust) and place it into the bottom of the pie pan. Then, I mix up the filling. To two cans of tart pie cherries, add 1 3/4 - 2 c. sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1 tsp. almond extract. (You can add less cinnamon and almond extract if you want). Mix all together and pour into crust. Dot with two to three tablespoons of butter.
Roll out top crust. Cut into what ever size strips you want. Be creative and make fancy edges, make wide strips etc. I start with two strips; they make a cross in the center. Then I work outward, lifting strips to make a basket weave. Roll edges inward around pie and crimp. Again, this is a place to get creative with the edges. Sometimes, I sprinkle a large grain sanding sugar on top. Bake in a 325 - 350 degree oven for about an hour. You just want to make sure the center is a solid not a liquid.
Voila. Pie. Cherry pie. I have a Cuisinart ice cream machine and made a vanilla ice cream to go with it (kind of gilding the lily).
15 comments:
Now that's a cherry pie !!
Looks so delicious I could just reach through the screen and grap a piece....
Thanks for sharing this recipe, when I feel creative, I'm going to give it a whirl ;)
Oh my gosh, you MADE your own vanilla ice cream to go with it? I am not much of a cook, so I don't know if you realize how amazing this sounds! It all looks sublime.
Yep, it's official...I just went and weighed. I gained 5 lbs. just reading this. I think it was the ice cream that pushed me off the ledge!
Debbie
I absolutely love cherry pie! But I'm the only one in my family that does so I don't make them for fear of eating the whole thing! I'm going to try your recipe when I need to take a pie to church! Looks so yummy!
Patti
Hey, thanks for stopping by and it would seem by the look of your blog, we have many things in commom, especially the love of peace and quiet and Nature.
My lil' pink shack sits on 6 acres next to a fourlane, but the front of my house is on the old highway, so peace abounds there, I just don't go to the back yard, I just keep planting trees to hide it.
I don't mow my grass, 'cept 'round the house and the birds and squirrels abound here now. Three miles out of the city allows me my mini Nature preserve. My garden too is showing the same signs as last year...too much rain!!! My strawberries don't completely rippen and are far and few, they need continual sun for more than a couple of days, as do my tomatoes...argh...
I use butter flavored crisco in my pies, I love the flavor and the flakiness and nothin' better for breakfast with a big cup o joe...thanks for sharing, I'll be back for another piece.
Be well and dry,
sharon
Wow,
That looks delicious. I would love a slice.
P.S. thank you for your comment.
Hello Donna
I just clicked on your name at Julie's and read your profile.
I grew up in Southwest Missouri. For most of my life I've lived in Rural Missouri. I've heard and seen the things you speak of, in your profile.
My husband is from northeast Missouri. How we found each other is a great story. Anyway, he too has fallen in love with the Ozarks. We have a place at the lake,which in many ways is a sort of faux Ozarks, not quite far enough south, but a great place, just 2 hours south of where we live.
Fortunately for both of us, my stepdad was a real Ozark storyteller. J remembers him fondly and credits him with teaching him about the Ozarks, I've always loved.
It pleases me so much, to learn how you feel about a place that always will be a special place for me; home.
Your pie looks delicious!!
Yummy. Makes me very hungry for pie.
Hi Donna,
Just wanted to say thanks for stopping by my blog. That pie looks great!
Thanks for sharing this lovely pie! I must try this out soon.
~Silver
from One Day at a Time with Silver/ food blog
Reflections
i just found your blog....and it is great!
i love all your nature photos.
and the cherry pie is making my mouth water.
have a wonderful day.
chasity
a northern missourian
I am a cherry pie snob. Whenever I see a recipe for cherry pie, I compare it to the recipe I use from my Missouri Granny, who made the best. In your recipe I found my criteria met: shortening in the crust - check; tart pie cherries - check; flour and almond extract in the filling - check; dotted with butter - check; and finally, proper lattice for the top crust - check. Clapping my hands and bowing to you!
Fabulous pie I will be round in a minute to share a slice...pop the kettle on xxx
YUM! This looks delicious! I will have to bookmark this recipe... my grandma is the pie-maker in our family, but I've never tried to make one-- and I like that your crust uses shortening... my grandma uses lard in hers, which, as a vegetarian, I try to forget when I am eating... :)
I want a piece of your pie.
:)
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