Description
This classic Cherry Pie features a tart cherry filling thickened with cornstarch and flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and almond extract, all encased in a buttery pie crust with a beautiful lattice top. Perfect for summer using fresh or frozen cherries, it's an elegant dessert served best with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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
Pie Crust
- 1 recipe Pie Crust, chilled at least 2 hours
For Assembly
- 1 large egg
- Coarse sugar, optional, for sprinkling
To Serve
- Vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Prepare cherries and juice: Place the thawed cherries in a strainer set over a bowl to collect juices. Measure 1 cup of reserved cherry juice, saving extra for another use. Transfer cherries to a large bowl.
- Make cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, stir cornstarch and ¼ cup water until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook filling: In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup cherry juice to a boil. Stir in sugar and return to a boil until sugar dissolves. Add cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring constantly, until juices thicken and become clear and glossy. Remove from heat, pour over cherries, then stir in cinnamon, ginger, almond extract, and salt. Allow filling to cool completely.
- Prepare bottom crust: Roll out the chilled bottom pie crust with a ½-inch overhang and fit into a 9- or 9.5-inch pie plate. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position oven rack in the bottom third and place a baking sheet inside the oven; preheat oven to 425°F with the sheet inside.
- Prepare top crust: Roll out remaining pie dough, place on a baking sheet, loosely cover, and refrigerate until bottom crust is chilled.
- Whisk egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water. Set aside.
- Assemble pie: Remove bottom crust from fridge and pour in cooled cherry filling. Transfer top crust to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch strips. Lay 4 to 5 strips crosswise over the filling. Weave another 4 to 5 strips through to create a lattice pattern, pulling back strips as needed. Trim edges and fold bottom crust edges over lattice, crimping to seal.
- Apply egg wash and sugar: Brush the lattice with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar on top if desired.
- Bake pie: Place pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles. Tent edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
- Cool and serve: Allow pie to cool completely, about 4 hours, before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- If you don’t have 1 cup of cherry juice, microwave cherries in 15-second increments until you achieve 1 cup of juice. Save any extra juice for another use.
- Chilling the dough at least 2 hours is important for easier handling and flakier crust.
- Use frozen tart cherries for year-round availability; just thaw completely before use.
- Coarse sugar on the lattice adds a decorative crunch but is optional.
- To prevent burning, tent the pie edges with foil if they brown before the filling bubbles.
- Allow pie to cool fully for the filling to set properly, improving slicing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 pie)
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
