The Best Homemade Cherry Pie!

This pie is made with a homemade cherry pie filling. The pie crust is an all butter crust. I have made plenty of pies over the years, but this one– according to my family (and they are honest critics)– is the BEST pie I’ve made so far. I have to agree. The cherries were just the right balance of tart and the crust was so tender.

I wish that Sour Cherries were available year round. Instead, I used canned cherries in water (not pre-made cherry pie filling).  I’ve always wanted to make my own cherry pie filling, and yesterday was the day to do it.

Did George Washington really chop down a cherry tree? Who knows?  But this is a perfect excuse for me to make one of my favorite pies.  My husband was at work, and I had the house all to myself. 

It’s been far too long since I’ve made a cherry pie. There’s nothing wrong with  canned cherry pie filling.   I had three cans of Oregon Red Tart Cherries, and a recipe from King Arthur flour.   These aren’t cheap to buy, but I wanted to experiment with a recipe.

Following King Arthur Flour’s recipe, I drained the cherries.  The recipe suggests using their pie filling enhancer or tapioca.  I ran out of  pie filling enhancer, but I did have a jar of Instant Clearjel. I prefer this product over using either flour or tapioca, because I believe it doesn’t “muddy” the color or flavor of my pies– and it works great!

I reduced the cinnamon from 3/4 of a teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon, because I didn’t want that spice to dominate the almond extract.  To me, cherry and almond are a perfect pairing. Love it! I called the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Hotline and they told me to use 7 1/2 teaspoons Clearjel, mixed into the sugar. So the filling was made, and I set it aside.  I preheated the oven to 425F.  It’s time to roll out the pie crust.

You can make the pie crust dough the day before, and refrigerate it. Let it slightly soften, for no more than 30 minutes. This would be my first time making a lattice pie crust.  For some reason, I had it in my head that this would be a challenge to do. After looking at step-by-step tutorials, I took a deep breath and got rolling. Pun intended.

NOTE: I’ve posted several pie recipes on my blog and, so far, my personal favorite recipe for pie crust is to use all butter (Pate Brisee). Personally, I prefer the flavor that butter imparts. I honestly believe I can achieve a very tender pie crust, without using shortening.  For shortening/lard purists, I have posted a few pies with shortening as the ingredient.

I used a ruler, because I didn’t trust my eye to make straight and even lattice cuts.  Done.

Spoon the filling into the pie crust.  I keep forgetting to adjust for my deep dish pie pan.  I should have used one more can of cherries, so the pie filling would go all the way to the top.  No sense fretting, and I continued on…

NOTE: If you’d like to see how I make my pie crust dough, with a food processor, and how I roll and crimp a perfect pie crust, click here to see it.  

Whisk an egg with a little water and then brush it on.  I think it gives the baked pie crust a pretty golden color. Most times I add a little sparkling white sugar, for texture. But, this time, I skipped using it.  I set two timers– one for 45 minutes and another for 25 minutes.  I like to check my pies, at about the halfway point, to check that the crust isn’t getting too dark.  Yikes! At 25 minutes, one area was getting dark, so I quickly added a pie crust shield (hastily made of rolled aluminum foil) and took the pie out at 45 minutes.

A pie should be allowed to cool for at least three hours, before slicing. Otherwise,  the filling might ooze all over the place.  Pie making is messy work, I admit.  But, there’s plenty of time to kill before I can cut it open and taste it.

Three hours later, with my son waiting in the wings, I grabbed a knife and spatula…

Print Recipe

No ratings yet

The Best Cherry Pie

This is the first time I’ve made a cherry pie, with homemade cherry pie filling. I wish that Sour Cherries were available year round, but I used canned cherries in water (not pre-made cherry pie filling). The pie crust is a Pate Brisee, which is a French version is an all butter crust. I have made plenty of pies over the years, but this one– according to my family (and they are honest critics)– is the BEST pie I’ve made so far. I have to agree. The cherries were just the right balance of tart and the crust was so tender.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Cooling time3 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cherry Pie, Cherry Pie Filling, Homemade Cherry Pie, Homemade Pie

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 464kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

CRUST:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour I used King Arthur unbleached AP flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter 2-sticks (chilled and cut into small pieces)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

PIE FILLING:

• 5 to 6 cups sour cherries packed in water or individually quick frozen
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon I reduced this to 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca or 1/2 cup Pie Filling Enhancer** OR
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter optional (I always use this)

Instructions

PIE CRUST:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
• Note: If you don’t own a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter or grate the butter into the flour.
• With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

PIE FILLING:

• Drain the cans of cherries, reserving 2/3 cup of water from one of them. Place the cherries and reserved liquid in a large mixing bowl.
• Note: I completely forgot about the reserved cherry juice, and the pie turned out perfectly anyway. I’m guessing the Clearjel is what saved the day!
• Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and tapioca or Pie Filling Enhancer or Clearjel. Stir this into the cherries until everything is evenly combined.
• Note: If using Clearjel, whisk it into the sugar before adding to the filling.
• Stir in the almond extract and salt. If you’re using tapioca, let the filling sit for 20 minutes before using it to fill the pie shell.
• Spoon the filling into the pastry-lined pan, and dot with butter, if desired.
• Roll out the second crust and place it on top of the filling. Cut a design (two cherries? a hatchet?) into the top to vent steam, and squeeze/seal the top and bottom crusts together, fluting with your fingers or a fork. You may also choose to make a woven lattice crust.
• Place the pie on a parchment-lined (to catch any spills) baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.
• Remove the pie from the oven, and cool it on a rack before slicing, so the filling can set– at least 3 hours.

Notes

Clearjel is a product that I order from King Arthur Flour.com

It’s perfect for pie fillings, and to thicken gravy as well.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 465mg | Potassium: 48mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 795IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

Share:

Pinterest

Facebook

Google

Twitter

Linkedin

Email