Valentine's Day: The Very Best Cherry Pie from Scratch
“Cherry Pie!!” Now that’s a call that will rally the troops. It's a family favorite at our house. Everyone loves it. Except our daughter, Lauren. She claims to love everything about cherry pie but the cherries??? (I love to sit by her when we’re eating cherry pie so I can rescue her abandoned cherries). Cherry pie is the perfect Valentine's Day dessert and there isn’t an easier pie on the planet to make. Scratch-made cherry pie filling is so simple (and you know what’s in it!) - just a bit of scooping and measuring and Voila! You have a delicious Cherry pie!
INGREDIENTS
3 Cans Red Tart Cherries (NOT pie filling), well drained in a strainer
1 1/2 C Sugar + extra for sprinkling on top of pie
3 Tbsp Minute Tapioca
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
1-2 Tbsp Butter
1 egg, well beaten with 1 Tbsp water for Egg Wash on top crust
Unbaked double pie crust (top and bottom crust)
Heat oven to 425°. Place half of pie dough in pie pan and reserve other half for the top of the pie. In a medium mixing bowl mix sugar, tapioca and salt. Add cherries and stir well to combine. Stir in almond extract. Pour into prepared pie crust. Divide butter into 3-4 portions and dot the top of the filling (this helps keep the filling from boiling over). Place top crust over filling and crimp edges to seal. Cut several vent holes in top crust (be creative!). Brush top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with 2-3 Tbsp sugar. Bake in hot oven at 425° for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400° for another 20-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the vent holes (this is how you know the filling is cooked and the bottom crust won’t be soggy). To prevent the crust edges becoming too brown before the pie is done, place a strip of tin foil around the edges the last half of the baking. Cool pie to allow the filling to set before cutting.
Canned Red Tart Cherries…NOT pie filling
Drain the cherries well in a strainer. Discard juice.
Combine cherries, sugar, tapioca, salt and almond extract.
Mix well to combine.
Pour filling into pie crust.
Place dots of butter on filling.
Add top crust or decorate as desired.
Sprinkle top with sugar.
Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.
Perfection!