Email to Cat      

Simple Cherry Pie

Source of Recipe


From "Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies" by Mollie Cox Bryan



List of Ingredients



• ½ recipe Plain Pie Pastry (recipe follows)
  
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
  
• ½ cup water
  
• 1 (16-ounce) can cherries, tart or sweet, or fresh cherries
  
• 1½ cups sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  






Instructions



1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with one rolled-out crust.
   
   
2. Mix the cornstarch with ¼ cup of the water to form a smooth paste. Put the cherries in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir in the sugar and the remaining ¼ cup water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, stir in the cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 5 minutes.
   
   
3. Sprinkle the flour in the bottom of the prepared pie crust, then pour in the cherry filling and spread it out evenly. Bake for 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours before slicing. Serve at room temperature.
   
   Makes one 9-inch pie.
   
   ............
   
   PLAIN PIE PASTRY
   
   • 2 cups all-purpose flour
   • 1 tsp salt
   • 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
   • 5 to 7 Tbsp cold milk
   
   Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut the shortening with a pastry blender until it is the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the milk over part of the flour mixture. Gently toss with a fork and push to one side of the bowl. Sprinkle another tablespoon over another dry part, toss with a fork, and push to another side of the bowl. Repeat with the remaining milk until all of the flour is moistened.
   
   Press the dough together to form 2 equal balls, then flatten into disks. Roll out the crusts right away; or wrap the dough tightly, smoothing out any little wrinkles or air pockets, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Use a light touch and handle the dough as little as possible.
   
   To prebake an empty crust, preheat the oven to 400° F. Press one rolled-out crust into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Line with parchment paper and weigh the crust down with dry beans or pie weights to keep the crust from bubbling or shrinking. Bake for about 10 minutes, until firm and lightly browned. To parbake the crust, remove it from the oven after about 10 to 20 minutes, when you first see a golden hue to the crust.
   
   Makes two 9-inch crusts.