Description
Homemade cherry pie delivers pure comfort straight from Grandma’s kitchen, with fresh cherries nestled in a golden, buttery crust that melts in your mouth. Slice after slice, this classic dessert brings pure joy to your family’s table with its sweet and tangy cherry goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 6 cups cherries
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 0.5 cup vegetable shortening
Filling Ingredients:
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar
- 0.25 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
Finishing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Turbinado sugar or granulated sugar
Instructions
- Mix 2½ cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl, ensuring even distribution.
- Cut 2 sticks of cold butter and ½ cup cold shortening into tiny cubes. Quickly blend them into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pour ice water into the mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, gently stirring until the dough just begins to clump together. Stop adding water when the mixture holds its shape.
- Split the dough into two equal portions. Flatten each piece into a 1-inch thick disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Chill the dough disks in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to firm up the fat and relax the gluten.
- Combine 6 cups of pitted cherries with ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup cornstarch, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
- Allow the cherry mixture to rest for 15-20 minutes, letting the juices develop and mingle.
- Heat the oven to 400°F and place a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any potential drips.
- Dust your work surface with flour and roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle, keeping the thickness even.
- Transfer the dough carefully into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it gently into the corners and trimming excess dough to create a 1-inch overhang.
- Pour the cherry filling into the crust, spreading it evenly. Dot the top with 2 tablespoons of small butter pieces.
- Roll the second dough disk into another 12-inch circle on a floured surface.
- Create decorative vents in the top crust using a sharp knife or pie cutter.
- Drape the top crust over the filling, trimming the edges to match the bottom crust’s overhang.
- Pinch and crimp the pie edges together to create a tight seal around the circumference.
- Whisk 1 egg with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the entire top crust surface.
- Sprinkle turbinado sugar generously across the egg-washed crust.
- Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes on the prepared baking sheet.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking 45-50 minutes until the crust turns golden and filling bubbles. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
- Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Keep your butter and shortening ice-cold to ensure a perfectly flaky pie crust that will melt in your mouth.
- Work quickly when cutting fat into flour to prevent warming, which can make the crust tough instead of tender.
- Allow cherry filling to rest for 15-20 minutes before baking to help cornstarch thicken and release natural fruit juices.
- Place the pie on a preheated baking sheet to help crisp the bottom crust and prevent a soggy bottom, which can ruin an otherwise perfect pie.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 35-40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour - 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Pies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 282 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg