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Charming Cherry Pie

Source of Recipe

From "A Southerly Course" by Martha Hall Foose


Recipe Introduction

"The week of July 9, 1955, 'Rock Around the Clock' bumped 'Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White' off the top of the charts. That was the week rock and roll became king. This combination of Granny Smiths and cherries rocks."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 batches pie dough
◦ 3 cups pitted cherries
◦ 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
◦ � cup (packed) dark brown sugar
◦ � cup quick-cooking tapioca
◦ � teaspoon pure vanilla extract
◦ � teaspoon pure almond extract
◦ � teaspoon ground cinnamon
◦ Grated zest of 1 lemon
◦ ⅛ teaspoon salt
◦ 1 � tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
◦ 1 tablespoon whole milk


Recipe

Heat the oven to 400� F. Place a baking sheet in the oven as it heats.

Roll half the dough to a �-inch thickness. Line an 8-inch pie pan with the dough and trim the overhang to 1 inch. Roll the remaining dough (and scraps) into a 9-inch-long rectangle that's about � inch thick. Cover and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, apple, brown sugar, tapioca, vanilla, and almond extracts, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Pour into the crust and dot with the butter.

To make a lattice crust, using a rolling cutter or sharp knife, cut eight 1-inch-wide strips of dough. Place four strips across the pie, leaving an inch between the strips. Gently fold back every other strip and place another strip of dough crossing the pie in the other direction. Fold the first strip down. Repeat, alternating the pattern. (Just think of those woven construction-paper place mats you made in elementary school.) Flute the edges, removing any excess dough, and brush the top crust with the milk.

Bake the pie on the baking sheet in the oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve warm.

Makes one 8-inch pie





❧ Pie Dough:

◦ 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
◦ � teaspoon salt
◦ ⅓ cup shortening or lard, chilled
◦ 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt with a fork to knock out any lumps. With fingertips or a couple of forks, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of small peas. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cold water over the mixture while tossing quickly with a fork until it begins to come together.

Gather the dough and shape it into a smooth ball. Flatten it into a disk and wrap in waxed paper.

Chill the dough for one hour or up to three days.