Tori’s Cherry Pie

I am not a bigger baker, but my lovely friend Tira was kind enough to give me her fantastic cherry pie recipe!
The measurements for the filling are not in absolutes, more of “Do what tastes best to you”.
(That’s how I cook, too.)
Her crust recipe has been handed down in her family for generations. Isn’t that fantastic?

 

Pie Crust
One cup of flour to one stick 1/4lb unsalted butter, softened but not super soft.
Pinch of salt
Ice water

Directions:

Combine the butter, salt, and flour until it looks kind of like sand, you don’t want to over mix, that will activate the gluten and make your pastry tough and chewy.  I use a KA mixer on low.

Slowly add ice water, until the pastry is clumping together and you can form a ball with it.

There are “tricks” to this pastry.  Keep it COLD.  The cold keeps the butter from completely combining with the flour, this you want for the flaky layers in the finished product.  Roll it out quickly and don’t overwork it.  This keeps the gluten from activating and making your pastry tough.  You’re looking for flaky and tender in your cooked product.

This basic recipe is great for sweet and savory applications.  I even sometimes roll it out, sprinkle with sugar and bake it for some sweet little cookies to have with coffee, or mix in shredded cheddar cheese and a little mustard powder, for some savory cookies.  It also freezes well.  You can make a big batch of it and freeze what you don’t need right away.

 

Cherry Pie Filling:

1-2 pounds dark cherries (pitted)
1/2 cup sugar, split (or more to taste)
Amaretto
2 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 325*F

Pit the cherries (there’s a cherry pitting tool that does this or you can do it by hand). Stir in some sugar, maybe a 1/4 cup, (I don’t like to load them down with sugar) and a couple of tablespoons of Amaretto.  Let them sit in the fridge for half an hour or so, then add about a tablespoon of corn starch, stir in, and pour into the bottom crust. Add maybe another 1/4 cup of sugar, and some more Amaretto if you want to. Cover with your top crust, make a lattice, or otherwise decorate the top.  I like to just put fork pricks into the top, dust with a little sugar and bake.  325 for about 45 minutes to an hour.  When the crust is golden brown, it’s done.