Cheery Cherry Pie Recipes

CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Place cherries in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Add the almond extract, if desired, and mix. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water, too thin, add a little more cornstarch.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Use your favorite pie dough recipe. Prepare your crust. Divide in half. Roll out each piece large enough to fit into an 8 to 9-inch pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of bottom crust. Place top crust on and flute the edge of the pie. Make a slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

CHERRY CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• BEAT cream cheese until fluffy in large bowl. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
• POUR into crust; chill 4 hours or until set. Top with desired amount of cherry pie filling before serving.
• TOPPING VARIATIONS
• BLUEBERRY: Omit cherry pie filling. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in medium bowl; mix well. Add 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice then 2 cup fresh or dry-pack frozen blueberries, thawed; mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until thick and clear. Cool 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool 15 minutes. Spread over pie. Chill thoroughly.
• CRANBERRY: Omit cherry pie filling. Combine 1/3 cups sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water and 2 cups fresh or dry-pack frozen cranberries; mix well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Spread over pie. Chill thoroughly.
• FRESH FRUIT: Omit cherry pie filling. Just before serving, arrange well-drained fresh strawberries, banana slices (dipped in lemon juice and well drained) and blueberries on top of chilled pie. Brush fruit with light corn syrup if desired.
• AMBROSIA: Omit cherry pie filling. Combine 1/2 cup Smucker's Peach or Apricot Preserves, 1/4 cup flaked coconut, 2 tablespoons orange juice and 2 teaspoons cornstarch in small saucepan; cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Arrange fresh orange sections over top of pie; top with coconut mixture. Chill thoroughly.

DEEP DISH CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Roll out the pie dough to 1/8th-inch thick and chill on parchment lined sheet pans. Cut out disks of dough 1-inch bigger than your ovenproof 8 to 12 ounce crocks. Keep chilled until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Drain the cherry juices into a medium saucepan; you should have about a cup of juice. Add the cornstarch, sugar, ginger, and lemon juice and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch then bring it to a simmer over medium heat whisking all the while. When thickened, turn off the heat, stir in the cherries.
• Pour the cherry filling into the ovenproof dishes and set aside to cool slightly. Carefully place the rolled-out disks on top and ease them into the dishes so it doesn't hang over the edge. Brush each disk with a little heavy cream and then sprinkle lightly with 2 tablespoons of sugar. With the tips of a pair of scissors, snip a X vent hole in the top of each crust.
• Place the pies on a sheet pan, to catch any juices that boil over. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling at the vents, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix the flour, salt, and sugar for 1 minute. Add the butter and mix just until you have a crumbly, sandy mixture. You should still be able to see the pieces of butter.
• In a small bowl, stir the water and vinegar together. With the mixer running at medium speed, drizzle in the water-vinegar mixture and mix just until a dough forms. You should still see small bits of butter.
• Turn out onto a work surface, divide the dough in half, and shape into round, flat disks. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using. (Or, refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 1 month before using. If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out.)
• When the time comes to roll out the dough, let the dough warm up for a few minutes at room temperature. Dust a work surface with just a few tablespoons of flour and keep some extra flour at hand. If you like, you can roll out the dough between two sheets of waxed paper (flouring the bottom sheet and the top of the dough before rolling), which makes it much easier to transfer to the pan later on. However, you won't be able to check the progress of the dough as easily. It's entirely up to you.
• Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and start rolling outward from the center with quick, light strokes. Don't worry if the edges split a bit; concentrate on getting a good circle going from the center. Lift up and rotate the dough 1/4 turn every minute or so to help ensure even rolling. The dough should feel smooth and soft; some say it should feel like the inside of your forearm. If it gets sticky, sprinkle on a bit more flour, but don't do this more than two or three times; the dough will absorb too much flour. Instead, put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm the butter up. Keep rolling until the circle is at least 2 inches larger than your pan (for example, 11 inches wide for a 9-inch pie pan), or 3 inches larger for deep-dish pies.
• Set your pie or tart pan nearby. We always use heavy aluminum pans, because glass pans seem to bake the crust too fast. However, we know that the advantage of glass is that you can easily check the color of the crust. Again, it's up to you. Either choice will work.
• To transfer the crust to the pan, we find it easiest to roll a finished crust up onto the rolling pin, then gently unroll it in the pan. Or, you can fold it gently in quarters, lift it up, position the center point on the center of the pan, and unfold it into the pan. If using waxed paper, peel off the top layer, turn the crust gently into the pan, and peel off the remaining paper. Make sure that the dough is allowed to settle completely into the pan.
• Don't stretch and press the dough into the corners; stretched dough will likely shrink back when you bake it. Instead, lift the edges of the crust to let it settle down into the corners. If the dough tears a bit, don't be concerned; it will patch easily. Using scissors or a sharp knife, trim the dough to within 3/4 inch of the rim. Use any extra scraps to patch the crust, pressing with your fingers (wet them if necessary) or set aside.
• For a double-crust pie: Leave the edges of the bottom crust hanging over the rim. Roll out the second piece of dough into a circle about 11 inches in diameter. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Roll the dough up onto the rolling pin, then unroll it onto the sheet pan.
• Chill the finished crust or crusts for 20 to 30 minutes before filling the pie. When the bottom crust is filled, rest the top crust on top and pinch the edges together, turning them under all the way around. To decorate the rim, just press it all around with the back of a fork. For a slightly more advanced look, press the thumb and forefinger of one hand together. Use them to gently push the thick dough rim outward, while pushing inward with the forefinger of the other hand, so that they intersect in a "V" with the dough in between. Repeat all around the rim to make a wavy edge.
• For a prebaked pie or tart crust (blind baking): Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the inside of the chilled crust with aluminum foil (don't turn it down over the rim, but leave the extra sticking up so that you have something to hold on to). Fill the foil all the way up to the top of the shell with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until dry and beginning to turn "blond". Lift the foil and weights out of the shell and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, checking frequently to prevent over baking, until medium brown.
• Yield: 2 crusts Preparation time: 15 minutes plus rolling and shaping Cooking time: 30 minutes Ease of preparation: moderate
• Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, "Butter Sugar Flour Eggs" by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto, Julia Moskin: Clarkson N. Potter Publishers, 1999

THE BEST CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place bottom pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan; made pricks along the bottom with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until pie crust is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove crust from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
• Combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and almond extract together in a bowl. Pour cherry mixture into the prepared pie pan; dot with butter. Cover with top crusts, crimp the edges to seal, and cut vents into the top with a sharp knife. Place the pie on a foil-covered baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. If it is browning too fast cover the pie with an aluminum foil tent. Continue baking until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 10 to 20 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes.

SWEET CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lowest position. On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll one disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Wrap dough around rolling pin; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and sides of plate (do not stretch dough). Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhand all around. In a large bowl, combine cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice; toss until cherries are coated. Pour into prepared bottom crust.
• On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll second disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Cut into eight 1 1/2-inch-wide strips; discard the shortest two. Weave strips over filling to form a lattice (see photo, page 28). Using kitchen shears, trim strips so they hang over rim by 1 inch. Tuck strips under rim of bottom crust; press to seal. Crimp with a fork all around the edge.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush lattice with egg wash, and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
• Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is bubbling rapidly all over, 60 to 70 minutes (tent with aluminum foil when crust starts to brown, about 40 minutes). Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature, at least 3 hours.

CHERRY CREAM CHEESE PIE

Steps:

• Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, and continue beating until smooth and combined. Add lemon juice and vanilla; mix well.
• Fill graham cracker crust evenly. Refrigerate until set; this will take between 2 to 4 hours. Just before serving, spread the cherry pie filling over the top of the pie.

FRESH CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in cherry juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and extract; set aside., In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add cold water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Divide dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger ball to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer dough to pie plate; trim even with edge of plate. Add filling. Roll out remaining dough; make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and flute edges. If desired, brush with egg wash., Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; bake until crust is golden brown, 45-50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

MARTHA'S SOUR CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss together the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a bowl.
• Make the crust: Roll out 1 disk pate brisee to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Pour in filling; dot with butter. Refrigerate while making top crust.
• Roll remaining disk pate brisee to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 4 to 5 holes using a 3/4-inch round cookie cutter or pastry tip. Place on top of pie.
• Trim bottom and top crusts to a 1-inch overhang using kitchen shears and press together to seal around edges. Fold edges under; crimp as desired. Freeze for 20 minutes.
• Brush crust with egg wash. Bake pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet set on the middle rack, until pie is bubbling in center and crust is golden, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Transfer pie to a wire rack and let cool before serving.

CHERRY CHEESE PIE I

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, beat together softened cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in whipped topping and blend until mixture is smooth. Spread into graham cracker crust and spoon pie filling over top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours before serving.

BAKED FRESH CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place bottom crust in pie pan. Set top crust aside, covered.
• In a large mixing bowl combine tapioca, salt, sugar, cherries, and extracts. Let stand 15 minutes. Turn out into bottom crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, flute edges and cut vents in top. Place pie on a foil-lined cookie sheet--in case of drips!
• Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Let cool for several hours before slicing.

JUICY CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in butter and shortening until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. For filling, place cherries in a large bowl; drizzle with lemon juice and almond extract. In a small bowl, mix sugar, flour and cinnamon. Sprinkle over cherries and toss gently to coat., On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough portion into a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust even with rim. Add filling., Roll remaining dough into a 1/8-in.-thick circle; cut out stars or other shapes using cookie cutters. Place top crust over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. If desired, decorate top with cutouts., Bake 40 minutes. For topping, brush top of pie with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 15-20 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

HOMEMADE CHERRY PIE WITH FRESH CHERRIES

Steps:

• In the bowl, put the all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, the powdered sugar, and the cubed cold butter.
• With your clean hands, start mixing the butter with the rest of the ingredients. You want to break down the butter until you get small pea-sized pieces, it doesn't matter if some are bigger than others. Be careful not to overwork the butter. These bits of un-mixed butter will help to create the flakiness of the crust. You can make this step with a pastry cutter or a food processor.
• Once you achieve said consistency, add the egg yolks and mix.
• Add tablespoons of cold water one by one, mixing in between. You want to achieve a consistency that is not too wet. It needs to stay barely together when pressed and should not stick to your hands. It's best to add the very cold water one tablespoon at the time, and check if the dough needs more water or not. Remember you can always add, but never take out.
• Keep mixing until you form a ball of dough, you should end up with a "clean" bowl.
• Divide into two balls and form each into a disk, wrap it in cling wrap and let it cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will allow the flour to hydrate and drop the temperature of the dough a bit.
• Crusts can be made ahead and frozen up to 8 weeks. Defrost for 2-3 hours or until dough is soft before rolling and shaping.
• Start by preheating your oven at 400 F /200c.
• Prepare the cherries by removing the pits, for this you can use a cherry pitter, or cut them in half and remove the pits.
• In a large bowl combine the pitted cherries, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla & almond extract, and lemon juice. Set aside.
• Roll out one of your pie dough disks: on a floured surface roll it until you reach a 1/4 inch (13mm) inch thickness as it follows: Roll a bit up and down and then turn 90º to one side. Roll again in the same direction and then turn again 90º. Keep rolling until you obtain the desired thickness.
• Roll the other dough disk, cut it in strips with a knife or a pastry wheel cutter, and set it aside.
• Line the pie pan with the first rolled crust and adjust the dough making sure there are no air bubbles underneath. Do not worry about the excess dough you are going to use it to create a nice decoration on the border.
• Fill the pie pan with the cherry mixture, discarding any excess liquid formed in the bowl.
• Create the lattice top crust by placing 4 dough strips on top of the pie pan leaving some space between them. Fold the second and third strips up & place two more strips on the opposite direction creating a crossed pattern and repeat all around the pie. The idea is to obtain weaving effect, by having always one strip up, one down.
• Press together the excess bottom crust with the end of the strips and crimp the edges with your fingers, or use a fork to press them together. Whisk the egg whites, then brush the surface of the crust.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F or 180C and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven. Keep an eye on the crust, so it doesn't get too browned, if it starts to get two brown move it to a lower rack or place a piece of foil on the pie.
• Once fully baked, let the pie cool so that the filling will fully set. Sprinkle some powdered sugar to garnish and serve with vanilla ice cream.

CHEERY CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• CRUST.
• Mix ice water and vinegar in a cup.
• Place 1/2 cup of flour in bowl and grandually add water & vinegar mixture; mixing well with a wire whisk.
• In another bowl, combine remaining flour and Splenda; add shortening and mix with pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is crumbly (but still binding together).
• Divide dough in half and gently pat each half into a circle on a floured work surface.
• Cover each circle with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• FILLING.
• Drain the reserved cherry liquid through sieve into a medium saucepan.
• Mix cornstarch and Splenda together in a small bowl and gradually pour into saucepan, stirring well.
• Add almond extract and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Simmer 3-4 minutes to thicken sauce and remove from heat.
• Add 3-4 drops of food coloring (if desired).
• Put cherries in a medium bowl and pour liquid on top, gently folding with spatula or wooden spoon (careful not to crush cherries) then set aside.
• Turn oven on to 375 degrees and spray a 9" pie pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
• Roll out 1 circle of dough on a floured surface to 11" in diameter.
• Place in prepared pie pan.
• Place filling in the crust.
• Roll out the other circle of dough to 10" in diameter and place on top of filling.
• Crimp and seal edges with fingertips or a fork.
• Prick the top of crust to allow steam to escape.
• Brush crust with milk for golden browning.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes or until filling bubbles and crust is golden.
• Cool for 1 hour before serving.

CLASSIC CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• For the crust: Blend shortening, flour, powdered sugar, butter and salt. Cut flour until it resembles cornmeal. Beat egg, blend in vinegar and water, and sprinkle over flour mixture. Toss with fork. Chill before rolling, about 1 hour. Makes 2 (9-inch pie crusts).
• For the filling: In a large size bowl, mix together all ingredients and pour into the pie shell. Cover with top crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

MAJESTIC CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, flour, tapioca and salt. Add cherries and lemon juice; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes., Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom pastry; trim even with edge of plate. Add filling; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. Brush with milk and sprinkle with remaining sugar., Bake at 400° for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.

CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll out one portion. Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim pastry even with edge. , Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup juice. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, tapioca, extract, salt, food coloring if desired and reserved juice. Gently stir in the cherries; let stand for 15 minutes., Pour into the crust. Dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust. Seal and flute edges. Bake at 375° for 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• First, make the pastry. Tip the flour, 50g almonds, butter, sugar and ¼ tsp salt into a food processor. Blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Beat the egg yolks with 2 tbsp cold water, drizzle over the flour and butter mixture and blend again until the dough starts to clump together. Tip onto a work surface and knead briefly to bring everything together into a smooth dough. Divide into two pieces and shape each lump into a puck shape. Wrap and chill for 30 mins. Will keep, wrapped and chilled, for up to two days.
• Remove the stones from the cherries - either cut them in half and pop out each stone, or use a cherry stoner. Toss the cherries with the jam, sugar and cornflour until there are no floury patches.
• If the pastry has been chilled for longer than 30 mins, bring it out of the fridge 20 mins or so before rolling, as it will be very firm. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Dust a surface with a little flour, then unwrap one piece of pastry. Carefully roll it out until it's large enough to line the base and sides of a 25cm pie dish, skillet pan or cake tin. The pastry will be very delicate, if any cracks appear when rolling, squash them back together and keep going. Lift the pastry over the rolling pin and into the dish - don't worry if it breaks, just patch it up by pushing it into the corners and up the sides and closing any holes. There should be a little overhang around the edges. Sprinkle the reserved 2 tbsp almonds over the base, then spread the cherries on top to fill the pie in an even layer.
• Roll out the remaining pastry so it's large enough to cover the pie. Brush a little beaten egg white around the pastry edge. Top the pie with the pastry lid as it is (piercing a hole in the centre for the steam to escape), or make a lattice topping. To do this, cut the pastry into strips, however wide you like. Arrange half the strips in one direction over the pie, leaving a few centimetres gap between each. Weave the remaining strips under and over these in the opposite direction, creating a lattice pattern. Squash the pastry together around the edge, then trim the excess with a sharp knife.
• Crimp the edge for a neat finish, or use any pastry scraps to make shapes to run around the edge - we used a piping nozzle to cut small circles. Stick them on with a little more egg wash, then brush the whole pie with a thin layer of egg wash. Sprinkle over a little caster sugar. Bake for 55 mins-1 hr, checking the pie after 40 mins. The edges may brown more quickly than the centre, if this happens, wrap a little kitchen foil around the edge to protect it.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 1 hr. If you cut it too soon, the fruit juice will be very runny and flood the pie. Best served just warm with cream or ice cream.