2/10/2011 - Day 26 - Cherry Pie

I actually made this pie on Tuesday night but we ate it on Thursday, 2/10 for Game Night! I bought 2 pounds of local frozen cherries at the farmers' market last weekend for only $3 a pound! I immediately thought "PIE!" This pie was super easy to make. I used this recipe I found on www.piechef.com. I did heart cut-outs on top instead of lattice work in honor of Valentine's Day & to show all of my gaming friends how much I love them. Awwww! 

Here's the recipe (stolen straight from www.piechef.com. GO THERE! She's seriously awesome!)

Cheery Cherry Pie
9" pie crust, plus extra crust for top crust, lattice, or pie crust art
5-6 cups frozen cherries (or 2 pounds)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour

(1 cup = about 0.25 liter)

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).

Place frozen cherries in a large bowl. If time permits, let them thaw for about an hour. This softens them up and helps them absorb the sugar and flour better.

Mix sugar and flour in a small bowl. Pour on fruit and mix to blend. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour into pie crust and spread evenly.

Roll out additional pie crust and place on top of berries. For this pie, I like a lattice crust, but here are some other options:

- Make pie crust art, using cookie cutters or a knife to cut out different shapes and place on top of fruit. If you're making this pie for Valentine's Day, decorate it with hearts.

- Make a traditional double-crust pie. Place top crust on fruit and pinch the edges to make a tight a pretty border. Cut some slits in the top to allow steam out.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes. Fruit and juices should be bubbling around the edges.

Tips from Jane

- If you don't have time to thaw the cherries, just let them sit in the sugar-flour mixture a bit longer and stir them often to spread the sugar and flour around. If you have some left in the bowl, sprinkle it evenly on top of the fruit.

- You can also make this with fresh cherries. In that case, you'll have to pit the cherries. Frozen cherries do have certain advantages! (particularly in the winter)

- Since I like to fill my pies with lots of fruit, they sometimes spill over. To protect your oven, place an old baking sheet or some aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven.

Easy as pie! :)