Sweet with a touch of sour, juicy yet crispy and crumbly crust – this is all about the mouth-watering Cherry Pie. This is crackin’, man!
A nostalgic memory comes to mind every time I make pies. This is not just a childhood recall, it was my grandma that always spoiled me with the best pie cakes. A cup of good coffee, an aromatic piece of pie and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream is my sweet reflection when I was small and carefree. Today my mood was too good to lose the day without creating something delicious. Usually, when I have such inspiration I just have a look in my fridge and decide what would be my creation. It depends on what ingredients I have at home. I do not like to go shopping in these moments because I lose my euphoria)).
And finally about creation) – today it is all about sour and sweet Cherry Pie! To be honest, I planned to cook it all summer, but as you can see, it is already the end of autumn). Today, I sweetly spoil my daughter and my husband with this heavenly delicious cherry pie. I consider that this kind of cake can be done in any season, but namely, in summer it will have a fresher and more pronounced taste due to the freshest cherries. In any case, it does not stop me to bake it today, in full autumn )).
About homemade cherry pie recipe
This homemade cherry pie recipe is not hard to prepare and there are no secret hints – just do it with love and the best dough. It is a classic recipe, maybe an old-fashioned one, but still so popular and famous that I consider everyone must try this recipe at least once. This decadent Cherry Pie works perfectly with fresh, frozen, or canned cherries. This is a great advantage that allows it being cooked all year round! I adore cakes that have cherry fillings as they are not too sweet nor too sour, just perfect with a cup of coffee.
How to balance the sweetness of the cherry pie?
Anytime I bake a cake with cherries I add as much sugar to cherries as sweet I want it to come out. I don’t like too sweet cherries in my baking, so I add icing or ice-cream on top in order to avoid too sweet filling. This is how I trick my daughter, but I eat without any sweeteners. I like the perfect balance between a sweet/buttery dough with aromatic sweet/sour cherries. I think it is one of the best combinations in cakes that I simply go mad for. The delicious buttery crust full of the sweet/sour flavor of cherries is always a winner when it comes to baking a cake. Nothing screams more summer feelings than a tempting Cherry Pie.
Sometimes all you need is some minutes of relaxation on an ultimate pleasure. I’m talking about a good cup of coffee and the best homemade Cherry Pie.
How to make the crust pastry for Cherry Pie?
The pastry for this Cherry Pie is the one that I usually use for Pies and Quiches( in Quiches I just do not add sugar). It is very simple to do and it does not need any kitchen robot. I recommend kneading shortcrust pastry with your own hands to avoid over-mixing the dough in the kitchen robot. In a bowl, tip ½ lb of unsalted butter (220 gr) into the 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour (300 gr). Rub them together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Then add 1 tbsp of sugar, ½ tsp of salt and 5-6 tbsp of iced water. Knead the dough gently with hand until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Divide the dough into 2 balls. If you have time, leave the pastry in the refrigerator to rest for about 30 minutes to one hour. If not, start working with pastry immediately. You can make this crust pastry in double/triple quantity and freeze the remaining part. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for a few months.
How to prepare filling for Cherry Pie?
There are several methods of preparing the filling for Cherry Pie. Some love filling as a gem, for this you have to pre-cook fruits. I prefer the filling with the taste of freshness and use raw fruits. Today I had 2 cups of frozen cherry (1 kg). I defrosted them before using them. When cherry defrosts and extra juice leaks from them, add ¾ cups of sugar and ⅓ cup of corn starch. This is done so that the starch absorbs extra juice from the fruits, and the crust remains crispy. Continue with 1 tsp of cinnamon and zest from one lemon. The lemon zest will give a nice contrast to sweet cherries infused in cinnamon spices. Mix gently all ingredients until evenly moist.
Homemade Cherry Pie
Dust working surface with flour. Take a single crust and roll it into a circle about 3 inches bigger than your pie form. Transfer it carefully in a wide pie form greased with butter and sprinkled with flour, then prick it with a fork. Cover the base of the pastry with baking parchment paper and then fill it with weight (rice, beans or whatever you have). Place on a roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F( 200°C). Then remove the weight and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to cook well the base. When it is ready, pour the gently flavorful cherry filling.
Take the second crust and roll it into the same circle as the first one. Using a knife or better a silicone dough spatula slice into ten medium strips( about 1 inch each). Now use your imagination and weave a lattice top crust. In the end crimp the edge of the pie crust.
How to style the cherry pie?
Prepare an egg wash by beating 1 egg with a pinch of salt. Brush with this mixture over the lattice crust and edges. Sprinkle the top of the pie with about 1 tbsp of clear sanding sugar. Egg wash and sugar will give your pie a gorgeous golden-brown and glossy look.
Bake the Cherry Pie at 425°F for 20-25 minute.
Nothing compares to a delicious piece of sweet/sour cherry pie. The easy, tasty, and foolproof recipe made of the freshest cherries, a peaceful comeback to summer feelings.
Tips:
- It is important working with pastry for pie when it is cold. If you want a crispy pastry, work fast or cool it in the refrigerator before working.
- You will better feel its flavorful taste if you will slightly cool it before serving.
- A ball of vanilla ice cream will be a perfect combination.
- Do not add much sugar in the filling, you can always sprinkle some extra sweetness(for example icing sugar) on top before serving.
Grandma's Soothing Cherry Pie
Equipment
- baking pan
- rolling pin
- Bowl
- baking parchment paper
Ingredients
Crusty pastry
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2.5 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp water iced
Cherry pie filling
- 2 lb cherry pitted
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
- 1 lemon zest
Topping
- 1 scoop ice cream vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp sugar sanding
Instructions
How to make the crust pastry
- In a bowl, tip ½ lb of unsalted butter (220 gr) into the 2 ½ cups of all purpose flour (300 gr)
- Rub them together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs
- Add 1 tbsp of sugar, ½ tsp of salt and 5-6 tbsp of iced water
- Knead the dough with hand gently until all ingredients are fully incorporated
- Divide the dough into 2 ball and cool them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to one hour.
How to prepare the cherry filling
- Place 2 lb of (1 kg) in a bowl
- Add ¾ cups of sugar, ⅓ cup of corn starch, 1 tsp of cinnamon and zest from one lemon
- Mix gently all ingredients until evenly moist
How to bake crusty base
- Take a single crust and roll it into a circle, that’s about 3 inches bigger than your pie form
- Transfer it carefully in a wide pie form greased with butter and sprinkled with flour, then prick it with a fork
- Cover the base of the pastry with baking parchment paper and then fill it with weight (rice, beans or whatever you have)
- Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F( 200°C). Then remove the weight and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes
How to assemble cherry pie
- When the base is ready, gently pour in the cherry filling
- Take the second crust and roll it into same circle as the first one
- Slice it into ten medium strips( about 1 inch each)
- Weave a lattice top crust from dough strips
- At the end crimp the edge of the pie crust
- Prepare an egg wash by beating 1 egg with a pinch of salt. Brush with this mixture over the lattice crust and edges
- Sprinkle the top of pie with about 1 tbsp of clear sanding sugar
- Bake the Cherry Pie at 425°F for 20-25 minute
- When time expires, take the pie out of the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes before serving
Nutrition
2 comments
The lattice top doesn’t look professional) but slice of pie is mouth watering!
Hey Carol, thank you for your comment! I’m not a professional baker but i bake with passion :) All of my recipes are homemade, dedicated to my dear ones. Hope this recipe is an inspiration for you :)