This selfmade cherry pie recipe is a formidable dessert with slices of scrumptious fruit filling baked inside a flaky, buttery crust. I share my simple ideas for pitting the cherries and making a shocking lattice crust.

Desk of Contents

1. Make the pie dough
2. Chill the dough
3. Rolling out the dough
4. Pan Choice
5. Cherry Choice
6. Halve some cherries
7. Put together the cherry filling
8. Make a lattice crust
9. Make the crust golden
10. Bake time
11. Let it cool utterly
12. Serve this with
13. FAQ
14. Cherry Pie Recipe

If there’s one dessert I can’t resist, it’s a thick slice of cherry pie, particularly when constructed from scratch. Cherries are in season in the course of the summer season months, so seize a couple of kilos and cargo them up in a selfmade pie crust. I take advantage of my go-to dough recipe, which I put together prematurely to hurry up prep on bake day. Don’t fear. It’s simple to swap in frozen cherries to make in the course of the holidays.

While you think about the best filling, it ought to burst with a candy and tart taste steadiness and be simple to chop and serve. To forestall the fruit from spilling out of the crust, I discover that halving some permits for higher packing and a juicier consistency. Plus, utilizing simply the correct amount of cornstarch helps to tighten up the sauce when it cools.

Make the pie dough

For a flaky pie crust texture, I take advantage of a traditional recipe referred to as Pâte Brisée. It’s extremely versatile. I take advantage of it for my savory hen pot pie and blueberry pie. The components are easy; all-purpose flour, ice-cold water, unsalted butter, and salt.

What’s necessary is the way you break down the butter. I take advantage of a stand mixer, however a dough cutter, meals processor, or your fingers will work to make pea-sized items. This course of will create little pockets of fats that steam up and flake throughout baking.

Chill the dough

This recipe makes use of a excessive ratio of butter, so it wants time to sit back and solidify, making it simpler to roll out and permitting the gluten protein community to calm down. The result’s a pliable dough that’s tender and never powerful. There’s a four-hour wait time, so I like to recommend making the dough a day or two earlier than so you may seize and roll out.

Rolling out the dough

Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes earlier than rolling to grow to be extra malleable. I discover {that a} ¼-inch thickness for the highest and backside crusts works effectively to present a sturdy construction. You need it to have the ability to maintain within the fruit filling with out being too thick. 

Use simply sufficient flour in your work floor and on the dough to stop sticking, however don’t overdo it, or it’ll style off and be powerful to eat.

Pan Choice

I take advantage of a shallow 9-inch pie dish that’s about 1 ½-inches excessive. I discover it provides a wonderful ratio of crust-to-filling and prevents shrinking like a deep dish typically does. I favor glassware as a result of it’s simpler to observe the browning. 

Glass takes a little bit longer to warmth up than metallic, but it surely retains warmth higher in the course of the cooling course of. The carryover cooking after baking helps the crust grow to be golden brown with no uncooked dough areas.

Cherry Choice

Contemporary cherries sometimes are inclined to pop up on the markets between Might to August. I take advantage of candy crimson cherries (Prunus avium), like Bing or Lambert. They’ve a agency, juicy texture and deep crimson for that attribute look. 

The blush yellow Rainier cherry is milder in taste and extra tart. I’d improve the sugar degree to about ¾ cups if utilizing this selection or different bitter cherries (Prunus cerasus). For a year-round possibility, use frozen cherries which have been thawed however not utterly defrosted.

Halve some cherries

You want two kilos of cherries for this recipe, about 5 ½ cups as soon as pitted. I’ve a couple of simple strategies to take away the cherry pits. I discover that reducing down at the very least 2 ½ cups into halves releases extra of the fruit’s liquid, leading to a juicier texture and a extra concentrated taste.

The smaller measurement does a pleasant job of filling within the gaps between the remaining complete cherries and prevents the filling from rolling out the crust if you reduce and serve a slice.

Put together the cherry filling

To make sure the cherry style stays on the forefront, I preserve the filling components easy. I take advantage of granulated sugar for a clear sweetness, not like canned merchandise, sometimes consisting of excessive fructose corn syrup. Lemon juice and zest add a touch of citrus aromatics and tartness.

A small quantity of cinnamon and vanilla extract provides heat and dimension. I add almond extract as a result of it has the same style profile to cherries, elevating the pure taste. Cornstarch is an efficient thickening agent as you want half as a lot as flour, and I like the way it provides a transparent shiny look.

Make a lattice crust

Making a weave sample on the highest of the pie makes for a shocking presentation. Try my step-by-step tutorial for making a lattice design. I take advantage of 1-inch strips, however you can also make them thinner for extra intricate patterns. Chill the strips to make it simpler to weave and maintain their form. 

Not solely fairly, however the further open areas additionally create a vent to launch steam. The openings assist focus the flavour and thicken the filling. For those who like a much less thick filling, use a standard double-crust which I used on my apple pie. Simply poke a gap within the middle to scale back the quantity of moisture that evaporates.

Make the crust golden

An egg wash is essential! Brushing a mix of whisked complete egg and milk creates a deep golden brown hue on the crust’s floor. The yolk bumps up the yellow sheen. Because of the Maillard browning response, the milk solids darken and develop extra intense and scrumptious baked notes.

Bake time

I take advantage of two temperatures for baking the pie and including colour to the crust. First, at 400°F (204°C) for half-hour to kickstart the steam launch and to prepare dinner the dough. After this time, the floor ought to begin to flip golden. Second, cut back to 350ºF (177ºC). After about 40 to 50 minutes, the fruit juices ought to bubble for at the very least 5 minutes persistently. 

The very middle of the filling ought to be round 203ºF (95ºC). At this temperature, the cornstarch gelatinizes. A smooth gel with some free juice ensures sliceable items however not so thick that it’s a stable jam consistency. If the highest crust or edges get too darkish throughout baking, loosely tent the pie with foil to defend it from the warmth.

Let it cool utterly

Resist the temptation to chop open the new pie. The juices will run out, making a soggy backside crust. Cooling to room temperature, about 4 hours, makes a substantial texture distinction. The butter companies up, making it simpler to slice. 

The filling additionally cools and permits the starches within the cornstarch to create a extra inflexible gel-like matrix. The consistency ought to be smooth, like pudding, however not soupy. You may cool it in a single day on a wire rack to serve the subsequent day. It’s arduous ready, I do know!

Serve this with

FAQ