Traditional Cherry Pie Food

TRADITIONAL CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Combine cherries, granulated sugar, tapioca and almond extract in a large mixing bowl, mix well. (It is not necessary to thaw cherries before using.).
• Let cherry mixture stand 15 minutes.
• Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry, fill with cherry mixture.
• Dot with butter.
• Adjust top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape.
• Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven 50 to 55 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
• Note: 2 (16-ounce) cans unsweetened tart cherries, well drained, can be substituted for frozen tart cherries.

CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Tip the flour, 50g almonds, butter, sugar and ¼ tsp salt into a food processor. Blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Beat the egg yolks with 2 tbsp cold water, drizzle over the flour and butter mixture and blend again until the dough starts to clump together. Tip onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring everything together into a smooth dough. Divide into two pieces and shape each lump into a puck shape. Wrap and chill for 30 mins. Will keep, wrapped and chilled, for up to two days.
• Remove the stones from the cherries - either cut them in half and pop out each stone, or use a cherry stoner. Toss the cherries with the jam, sugar and cornflour until there are no floury patches.
• If the pastry has been chilled for longer than 30 mins, bring it out of the fridge 20 mins or so before rolling, as it will be very firm. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Dust a surface with a little flour, then unwrap one piece of pastry. Carefully roll it out until it's large enough to line the base and sides of a 25cm pie dish, skillet pan or cake tin. The pastry will be very delicate, if any cracks appear when rolling, squash them back together and keep going. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and into the dish - don't worry if it breaks, just patch it up by pushing it into the corners and up the sides and closing any holes. There should be a little overhang around the edges. Sprinkle the reserved 2 tbsp almonds over the base, then spread the cherries on top to fill the pie in an even layer.
• Roll out the remaining pastry so it's large enough to cover the pie. Brush a little beaten egg white around the pastry edge. Top the pie with the pastry lid as it is (piercing a hole in the centre for the steam to escape), or make a lattice topping. To do this, cut the pastry into strips, however wide you like. Arrange half the strips in one direction over the pie, leaving a few centimetres gap between each. Weave the remaining strips under and over these in the opposite direction, creating a lattice pattern. Squash the pastry together around the edge, then trim the excess with a sharp knife.
• Crimp the edge for a neat finish, or use any pastry scraps to make shapes to run around the edge - we used a piping nozzle to cut small circles. Stick them on with a little more egg wash, then brush the whole pie with a thin layer of egg wash. Sprinkle over a little caster sugar. Bake for 55 mins-1 hr, checking the pie after 40 mins. The edges may brown more quickly than the centre, if this happens, wrap a little kitchen foil around the edge to protect it.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 1 hr. If you cut it too soon, the fruit juice will be very runny and flood the pie. Best served just warm with cream or ice cream.

VANILLA CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Put the butter and flour in a food processor and whizz until the mixture looks like damp breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and pulse to combine. Whisk the egg yolks, 2 tbsp cold water and the vanilla in a bowl, then drizzle over the flour mixture. Pulse until the dough starts to clump together, adding a drizzle more water, 1 tsp at a time, if the dough feels dry - try not to add too much or the pastry will be tough. Tip out onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring everything together to a smooth dough. Break into 2 pieces, one a little larger than the other, wrap in cling film, pat into flat discs and chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the larger piece of pastry from the fridge - if it feels a little firm, leave at room temperature for 20 mins to soften. On a floured surface, roll out to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use the pastry to line a 20-22cm metal pie plate or tin, leaving a little excess pastry overhanging - trim with a pair of scissors if necessary. Line the base with baking parchment and baking beans, and blind-bake for 20 mins. Mix the cherries, cornflour and sugar in a bowl. Add the cherry jam, vanilla and butter, and mix again.
• Remove the beans and parchment from the base, brush the pastry with some of the beaten egg white and bake for 5 mins more until golden. Trim the pastry to neaten.
• Turn the oven down to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Tip the cherries into the centre of the pie. Roll out the remaining pastry to the same thickness as before, large enough to cover the pie. Slide the pastry onto a well-floured sheet of baking parchment and, using your favourite mini biscuit cutter or the wide end of a piping nozzle, stamp out a scattering of shapes - we used a 2cm star cutter, but hearts or circles would look nice - just don't cut out too many or the pastry will collapse. Brush the egg white over the edge of the pie rim and all over the lid. Place a few cut-out shapes back on the pastry, if you like. Carefully lift the baking parchment and pastry, and slide the pastry lid onto the pie, removing the parchment. Trim the excess pastry, then use a fork to press the lid to the base. Bake for 35 mins.
• Brush the pie with the remaining egg white and scatter with the remaining 1 tbsp sugar. Bake for a further 5 mins until golden brown and bubbling. Leave to cool for at least 20 mins before serving with crème fraîche, thick cream or ice cream.

THE BEST CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place bottom pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan; made pricks along the bottom with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pie crust is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove crust from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
• Combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and almond extract together in a bowl. Pour cherry mixture into the prepared pie pan; dot with butter. Cover with top crusts, crimp the edges to seal, and cut vents into the top with a sharp knife. Place the pie on a foil-covered baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. If it is browning too fast cover the pie with an aluminum foil tent. Continue baking until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 10 to 20 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes.

CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Place cherries in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Add the almond extract, if desired, and mix. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water, too thin, add a little more cornstarch.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Use your favorite pie dough recipe. Prepare your crust. Divide in half. Roll out each piece large enough to fit into an 8 to 9-inch pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of bottom crust. Place top crust on and flute the edge of the pie. Make a slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

TRADITIONAL CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Combine flour and salt in processor and blend. Add butter and shortening and process, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 5 tablespoons ice water and toss or pulse just until combined. If necessary, gently mix in additional ice water, a little at a time, until mixture forms moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Divide in half and flatten each piece into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until cold, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
• Make filling:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line heavy baking sheet with foil and set on middle rack of oven. In large bowl, combine cherries, sugar, and tapioca or cornstarch; mix well and let stand while rolling out crust.
• On lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll out 1 piece dough into 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Fit dough into 9-inch (1-quart) pie pan, leaving 3/4-inch overhang. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• On lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll out second piece dough into 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).With sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel, cut into 1-inch-wide strips.
• Remove pie pan with bottom crust from refrigerator and pour in filling. Top with pieces of butter. Brush rim of bottom crust lightly with water.
• Make lattice top:
• Lay 5 pastry strips vertically across pie, spaced evenly. Fold strips 2 and 4 back halfway, and insert new strip across center of pie, perpendicular to other strips. Drop folded strips back over inserted strip.
• Fold back strips 1, 3, and 5 and add another cross strip, leaving room between strips for filling to show through. Lay folded strips flat again. Continue from center out to edge of pie, weaving lattice top. Repeat process on other half, again working from center out. Gently press ends of strips to edge of bottom crust to adhere. Trim lattice edges flush with rim of pie plate.
• Roll overhanging dough from bottom crust up over edge of lattice top. Press to adhere and crimp decoratively. Brush lattice with milk and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar.
• Place pie on baking sheet in oven. Bake 20 minutes. Cover crust edges with foil collar to prevent overbrowning. Continue to bake until filling bubbles and crust is golden brown, about 25-30 minutes longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool at least 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll out one portion. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. , Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup juice. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, tapioca, extract, salt, food coloring if desired and reserved juice. Gently stir in the cherries; let stand for 15 minutes., Pour into the crust. Dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Seal and flute edges. Bake at 375° for 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.