This recipe for On-Hand Cherry Pie is loosely based on the cherry pie recipe made popular by the "Joy of Cooking" cookbook. The term on-hand refers to the baking pantry ingredients you probably have on hand in your cabinets. Their availability makes this pie a simple yet perfect pie for the cherry season.
This cherry pie doesn't use lemon juice, an ingredient found in most cherry pie filling recipes. Instead, vinegar replaces the lemon juice to achieve the same basic effect. Unlike most cherry pie recipes, Bing or other sweet cherries and a reduced amount of sugar characterize this recipe. To create interesting variations in flavor, consider other flavored vinegars. Red wine pomegranate vinegar is pleasant; a simple cider vinegar can also be a wonderful choice. Tapicoa flour can be substituted for the cornstarch, if desired.
On-Hand Cherry Pie
This pie can be made with either sour or sweet cherries. If using sweet cherries, reduce the amount of sugar used to 3/4 cup.
Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie
Ingredients:
- 5 cups (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds) fresh sour or sweet cherries, halved and pitted
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- Prepared store-bought or homemade top and bottom crusts for a 9-inch pie
- All-purpose flour, for dusting work surface
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon heavy cream
Directions:
- In a large saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, water, vinegar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Cook cherries over medium-low heat until the cherries have reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure that the filling doesn't burn.
- While the filling is reducing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough for the bottom crust to a 1/8-inch-thick circle, about 13 inches in diameter. With a dry pastry brush, brush off the excess flour; roll the dough around the rolling pin, and lift it over a 9-inch pie pan. Line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners of the pan. Trim the dough so that it hangs over the pie pan by about 1/4 inch. Turn the overhanging dough under, forming a rim, and crimp the edges of the pastry. Refrigerate pastry crust until ready to fill.
- Roll out the remaining pastry dough to the same size and thickness as the bottom crust. Once the cherries have reduced, pour the filling into the bottom crust. Using the back of a spoon, smooth them out in the bottom crust so that they are evenly filling the crust.
- Whisk together the egg yolk and heavy cream. Brush the rim of the bottom crust with the egg wash, place the top crust on top, trim and crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Decorate the top crust with excess trimmings if you wish, then open 4 to 8 evenly spaced holes on the top to allow any steam to exit while baking.Transfer to the refrigerator until firm, about 40 minutes.
- Depending on your personal preferences, you may choose to egg wash the top of the crust.
- Place the pie pan on a baking sheet so that if any juices drip out while baking, they won't burn onto your oven. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue baking for another 30 minutes or until the top crust is golden and the juices are bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes more.
- Allow pie to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour before slicing. Serve at room temperature.
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