Description
A classic summer dessert, this sour cherry pie features a flaky homemade crust filled with a sweet-tart cherry filling thickened with cornstarch and lightly spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and almond extract. Perfect served with vanilla ice cream, this recipe can be made ahead by preparing the crust and filling in advance.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 pounds frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed, juices reserved
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch salt
Pie Crust
- 1 recipe Pie Crust, chilled at least 2 hours
Finishing
- 1 large egg
- Coarse sugar, optional
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare cherries and juice: Place the thawed cherries in a strainer set over a bowl to capture the excess juices. Measure 1 cup of the cherry juice and reserve any leftover juice for later use. Transfer the cherries to a large bowl.
- Make cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and ¼ cup water until smooth and set aside.
- Cook cherry filling: Pour the 1 cup cherry juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cane sugar, stirring until dissolved, and return to a boil. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until the juices thicken and appear clear and glossy. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, ground ginger, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Allow the filling to cool completely.
- Roll and chill bottom crust: Roll out the pie crust dough for the bottom crust according to your pie crust recipe, leaving a ½-inch overhang around the pie plate. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425°F and place a baking sheet on the bottom rack.
- Roll and chill top crust: Roll out the remaining pie dough for the top crust and transfer it to a baking sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the bottom crust has finished chilling.
- Prepare egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon of water; set aside.
- Assemble the pie: Remove the bottom crust from the fridge and pour in the cooled cherry filling evenly. Transfer the top crust dough to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch strips. Lay 4 to 5 strips crosswise over the filling. Weave 4 to 5 more strips through the crosswise strips to create a lattice pattern, lifting strips as needed. Trim the edges of the lattice strips flush with the bottom crust edge. Fold the bottom crust edge up over the lattice edges and crimp with fingers or a fork to seal.
- Finish and bake: Brush the lattice crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbles. If crust edges brown too quickly, tent with foil to prevent burning.
- Cool: Let the pie cool completely for about 4 hours before slicing to allow the filling to set properly.
- Serve: Slice and serve the cherry pie with vanilla ice cream for a classic accompaniment.
Notes
- If you do not have 1 cup cherry juice from the thawed cherries, microwave the cherries for 15 seconds to release more juice. Repeat as needed until you have 1 cup. Save any extra juice for another use.
- The pie crust can be made 1 to 2 days in advance and kept chilled before rolling.
- Use frozen tart cherries for best tartness and availability beyond summer.
- To prevent soggy bottom crust, ensure filling is mostly cooled before assembling.
- For a perfectly shiny crust, brushing with egg wash and sprinkling coarse sugar adds great texture and appearance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
