Cherries are in season! I love this season, and with all the great great fruit available ask yourself why you haven't made a fruit pie yet, seriously!
1 recipe double-crust pie dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
1/4 cup vodka, chilled (do not substitute water, vodka cooks out and helps to make the dough easier to roll out, will be moister than most pie doughs but inturn will require up to 1/4 cup flour to roll out)
1/4 cup ice water
1. Process 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor until combined. Scatter the butter and shortening over the top and continue to process until incorporated and the mixture begins to form uneven clumps w/ no remaining floury bits, about 15 seconds.
2. Scrape down the bowl and redistribute the dough evenly around processor blade. Sprinkle the remaining flour over the dough and pulse until the mixture has broken up into pieces and is evenly distributed around the bowl, 4 to 6 pulses.
3. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Sprinkle the vodka and water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together, using a stiff rubber spatula, until the dough sticks together.
4. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces. Turn each piece of dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Before rolling the dough out, let it sit on the counter to soften, about 10 minutes.
Now the insides:
6 cups fresh sour cherries, pitted
1-1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
pinch salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1. Roll out one disk of dough into 12-inch circle on a lightly floured counter, then fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, letting the excess hang over the edge; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes.
2. Roll the other disk of dough into 13 1/2 by 10 1/2-inch rectangle, then transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Trim the dough to a 13 by 10-inch rectangle w/ straight edges, slice it lengthwise into eight 13-inch-long strips. Separate the strips slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until very form, about 30 mins.
3. Toss the cherries and 1 cup sugar together in a large bowl and let sit, tossing occasionally, until the cherries release their juices, about 1 hour. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Drain the cherries thoroughly through a colander, reserving 1/4 cup of the juices, In a large bowl, toss the drained cherries, 1/4 cup reserved juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, almond extract, and salt together until well combined. (If cherries are too tart, add up to 1/4 cup more sugar.)
5. Spread the cherries into the dough-lined pie plate and weave the chilled strips of dough over the top into a lattice. Let the strips soften for over 5 to 10 minutes, then trim, fold and crimp the edges. Lightly brush the lattice with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
6. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 mins. Reduce the oven temp to 375, rotate the baking sheet, and continue to bake until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown, 25-35 more mins. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 2 hours.
I know, I know, lots of directions, but look at all the work I put in to letting you know about this amazing recipe. It's really not that hard, just takes patience and thinking ahead to pull this one together. Try it, you'll be sooooooo glad you did. Enjoy!
