The Life of Pies

Sick days are the worst. Your head hurts, your nose is puffy and red, and all you want is comfort food, but you have zero energy to make any. Today I am having a sick day. And all I want in the world is warm and delicious cherry pie. The recipe I have is my grandmother's, and I have many fond memories of covering it completely in whipped cream and eating it on Thanksgiving. There is just something magical about comfort food and how it makes us all feel better. So today I am sharing this yummy cherry pie recipe because I am craving it more than anything!

Here's how to make it! (Some pictures are included at the bottom)

If you plan to chill your crust then start with that. If you're like me and don't chill the crust despite all of the recommendations, start with the filling.

Grandma's Cherry Pie Filling:

1. 2 cans of tart pitted red cherries.
2. 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.
3. 3/4 cups of sugar (or 7 artificial sugar packets if you would like a sugar-free pie).
4. 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.
5. 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
6. 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract.
7. 5 drops of red food coloring.
8. 1 tablespoon of butter.
9. 3 cups of all-purpose flour.
10. 2 cups of shortening (regular vegetable shortening works well).
11. 1 teaspoon salt.
12. 1 cup of ice water.

Open your 2 cans of cherries and pour only the juice into a medium sauce pan. You should have about 2 cups of liquid. Do not rinse the cherries because it just washes away all of their flavor. Add in the cornstarch and heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Be sure to stir it consistently so that the cornstarch doesn't clump and stick to the bottom of the pan. As soon as it gets hot enough it will thicken and turn into the consistency of a thick glaze. Add in your sugar and stir it in until it is melted. Remove your pan from the heat. Now add in your lemon juice, salt, and almond extract. I used imitation almond extract because my sister has a nut allergy, but it tasted exactly the same. Next, add in the cherries and stir them until they are well incorporated with the sauce. Finally, add your food coloring in. The main purpose of it is to brighten the color and make it pretty, but if you have an allergy to food dye then you can leave it out.

Let it cool a little before you pour it into your pie crust. Then the last touch is to cut your butter into fourths and disperse them on top of the filling once it is in the pie plate. Do not forget this step! I know from experience how much of a pain it is to try and lift up the top crust and add those in. It really is the finishing touch that makes all the difference.

Now for the pie crust! the original recipe calls for 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, 1 part ice water. I didn't like the flavor of the salt so I replaced it with shortening because that is what my grandmother's recipe used. The 3,2,1 ratios seemed to work pretty well. However, be prepared to tweak as needed. It is not set in stone, so don't be afraid to add more flour if needed even though the recipe says 3 cups. Cooking isn't always exact or perfect. And that's okay.

Perfect Pie Crust:

If you made your filling first like me, this is the point in time where you will need to get your oven preheating. Turn it to 400 degrees. Now the crust. Get a big bowl and wash your hands. As they say on the food network "your best cooking tools are a pair of clean hands." Add the flour, salt, and shortening together and mix with your hands until they make crumbs. If the shortening seems like it is staying in big clumps you may need to add a bit more flour. Next, add in your ice water a little bit at a time. And when I say ice water I mean it. I had a bowl filled with ice and water and took it from there as I needed it. As you add it in, mix it with the crumbs you just made until it gets to the right texture. You do not want it sticky, but you also don't want it to be crumbling and falling apart. Once it is where you want it, take half and roll it out on a floured surface. Add flour to the top of it if it sticks to your rolling-pin. Place it into the pie plate and roll out the top crust. (If you struggle with getting it into the plate, try rolling the crust onto the rolling-pin so you can transport it without breaking it). Put your filling into the bottom crust (Don't forget your butter!!) and before topping it, take a butter knife and gently poke a design into the top crust. This makes it pretty, but more importantly it lets air escape while it cooks. Top your pie, seal the edges, and bake it at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

I hope you enjoy!!

-Emily