There’s never been a cherry pie this good! Fresh cherries with just the right amount of sweetness are nestled in the most flaky, buttery pie crust imaginable. One bite & you won’t want to share.
6cupsabout 2 lbs fresh cherries, pitted (I like to use tart cherries)
½cupwater
½cupwhite sugar(can increase to ¾ cup if you like a sweeter pie)
½cupbrown sugar(can increase to ¾ cup if you like a sweeter pie)
¼cupcornstarch
½teaspoonalmond extract(optional)
1-2Tablespoonstriple sec or amaretto(optional)
Double Pie Crust
3cupsKing Arthur All-Purpose flour,sifted
1 ½teaspoonsalt
1cupshortening
8Tablespoonsice water
9” deep dish pie plate
2Tablespoonsbutter(optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cherry Pie Filling
In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients up to almond extract. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and add extract and triple sec. Stir and let cool slightly.
Double Pie Crust
Sift flour and salt together into large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, or two knives, cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water a tablespoon at a time, stirring lightly with fork, and continue until the dough holds together when pinched between your fingers.
Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle your surface with flour, as well as the top of one ball of dough, and roll into a circle that is slightly larger than the pie plate.
Assemble
Fold dough over rolling pin and lift over pie plate. Let settle into pie plate, gently patting into place. Trim overhanging sides of dough to within 1-½-inches.
Sprinkle flour on second ball of dough then roll out about the same sized circle as the first. Cut into narrow strips for a lattice work top or, if want a full crust, just leave in circle. Set aside.
Fill pastry-lined pie plate with cherry filling. Dot top of filling with butter (optional).
To make lattice work, lay a series of strips across pie. Take the remaining strips and weave under and over the strips in the opposite direction letting them hang over the edge about 1-½”. (If using full crust, lay over filling allowing to hang over edges.) Fold top crust over bottom crust to form a standing rim, pinching dough together.
Using your index or pinkie finger, press from outside-in to form a depression, skip ½" and make another depression with finger. Continue all the way around. (If using a full crust, cut several slits in top for steam to escape.)
Bake 40-50 minutes. Watch crust carefully as it can brown quickly. If it gets too brown, tent of foil.