We are so excited and highly anticipating the 4th this weekend, so we thought we’d let you in on one of our pie recipes. This one has a good shortcut, so you won’t be slaving over the baking in the heat, but it’s a definite crowd pleaser!! It’s the all American cherry pie!!
All photo’s by Megan Welker
First Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
The time consuming part is the crust, and it’s very important you get this part right. It’s delicious!!
Crust ingredients (enough for bottom and top crusts):
2.5 cups All purpose Flour (plus a little extra for rolling)
1 cup unsalted butter (very cold & cut into 1.5 inch cubes)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
6-8 tbsp of ice water
Put flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix. Add about half of the butter to the food processor and pulse several times. Then add the rest of the butter and pulse 6 to 8 times until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of large peas. Sprinkle the mixture with about 1/4 cup of ice water (make sure there are no ice cubes in the water!) and pulse again. Then add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition until the dough just barely begins to hold together.
You know that the mixture is ready if when you pinch some of the crumbly dough together with your fingers, it holds together. Be careful with the amount of water you add, too much and the crust will be tough.
Carefully empty the crumbly dough mixture from the food processor on to a clean, dry, flat surface. Gather the mixture in a mound. Push down with the palm of your hand on the dough crumbles a few times. This will help flatten the pieces of butter into layers which will help your crust be flaky.
Divide the dough mixture into two even-sized mounds. Use your hands to form each one into a disk. Make sure not to over-knead!
Sprinkle each disk with a little flour, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.
Remove one crust disk from the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to make rolling out a bit easier. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch circle. Carefully place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to trim the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the pie dish.
Now here is the easy part…the Filling!! My mother and father in law visited Door County Wisconsin some years back and brought us back a jar of the most delicious cherry pie filling called Seaquist Orchards Cherry Pie Filling. You can order it on line here! It’s amazing, you will clean your plate….seriously.
Add the filling to the pie.
Roll out second disk of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving a 3/4 inch overhang. Press edges using thumb and forefinger or with a fork. Make some holes and cuts on the top of the pie, so that steam from the cooking pie can escape.
Place your pretty pie in your pre heated oven and bake for 50 min or until golden brown.
Hope you all have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend! And enjoy the cherry pie!!
Xx Leah
