Description
This classic cherry pie recipe features a sweet and tart filling made from frozen pitted tart cherries thickened with cornstarch and flavored with warm spices and almond extract. The lattice crust is crisp and buttery, perfect for serving with vanilla ice cream on warm summer days or any time of the year.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 pounds frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed, juices reserved
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch salt
Crust
- 1 recipe Pie Crust, chilled at least 2 hours
Finishing
- 1 large egg
- Coarse sugar, optional
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare cherries: Place the thawed cherries in a strainer over a bowl to catch the juices. Measure out 1 cup of the cherry juice and save the rest for another use. Transfer the cherries to a large bowl.
- Make cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and ¼ cup of water until smooth, then set aside.
- Cook filling: Pour the 1 cup cherry juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar and return to a boil. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir continuously until the juices thicken and become clear and glossy. Remove from heat and pour the thickened juices over the cherries. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, almond extract, and salt. Let the filling cool completely.
- Prepare bottom crust: Roll out the bottom pie crust according to the pie crust recipe instructions, leaving a ½-inch overhang on all sides of a 9- or 9.5-inch pie plate. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F placing a baking sheet on the bottom rack.
- Prepare top crust: Roll out the remaining pie dough and transfer it to a baking sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until the bottom crust has chilled.
- Assemble pie: Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash and set aside. Remove the bottom crust from the fridge, pour in the cooled cherry filling evenly. Transfer the top crust to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch wide strips. Lay 4 to 5 strips crosswise over the filling. Weave 4 to 5 strips over and under these to create a lattice pattern, adjusting strips as you weave. Trim edges and fold the bottom crust edges over the lattice, crimping to seal.
- Finish and bake: Brush the lattice with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Tent the edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
- Cool and serve: Allow the pie to cool completely, about 4 hours, before slicing. Serve slices warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- If you do not have 1 cup of cherry juice after thawing, microwave the cherries for 15 seconds at a time to release more juice until you reach 1 cup.
- For best results, let the pie cool fully to allow the filling to set properly before slicing.
- Using frozen tart cherries works well year-round; fresh cherries can be used when in season.
- Coarse sugar on the crust adds a lovely sparkle and crunch but can be omitted for a softer crust.
- Almond extract provides a subtle nutty flavor complementing the cherries; omit or substitute with vanilla extract if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 pie)
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
