Cherry pie

Ana asked me to make her a cherry pie. It was a written request -- a tiny note, complete with her drawing of a lattice-topped pie. She even taped a tiny flower to the side. I could not resist, and now two pies, complete with woven tops, are in the oven. 

Cherries do not abound here as they did near the Great Lakes in summertime long ago. I remember Grandma Krumm's line of cherry trees, and how we kids would hang upside down from the branches, picking the tart red fruit, spitting the seeds on the ground. In my memory our faces are all squinched up with the sourness. I remember cherry pies that were too juicy, with a soggy bottom crust.

Thanks to Google and Pinterest I might get it right this time. I bought two big bags of frozen cherries, mixed sweet and dark, at Whole Foods. A friend said she found canned tart cherries at Publix, but I couldn't find them at the Lake Ella store (Yes, I asked). Amazon will send them, but I was too impatient even for Amazon.

Yesterday I made the crust and a cooked -- thickened -- filling.  This is a combination of my own and my mother's recipes and the online sources listed below. 

Cherry Pie (for one pie)

4 C. frozen cherries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 C. sugar (I used one cup, since there were sweet cherries too.)
1/8 tsp. salt
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract

Place 4 cups frozen cherries over medium heat. After a few minutes, when cherries have given up considerable juice, remove from heat. Mix the sugar with the cornstarch. Add to the hot cherries and mix well. Add almond extract and  lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water. If too thin, add a little cornstarch. I didn't do either.

Spoon into an 8" or 9" pie crust. Make a lattice top, as described in the crust recipe below. Brush the crust with beaten egg white (oops! I forgot to beat it.) Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake on foil-covered baking sheet to catch drips. Bake 20 minutes at 425°. Lower temperature to 375°. Cover the edges with crimped foil to prevent burning and bake another 30-40 minutes. (My pies still have about 10 minutes to cook.)

Remove from the oven when the crust is browned and the middle of the pies are bubbly.

Useful  sites

http://artfulparent.com/2012/03/best-cherry-pie-recipe-ever.html
This has photos that show steps in crust-making
http://blog.kitchenaid.com/ten-tips-perfect-homemade-pies/

Never Fail Pie Crust (from site above ... Mom's recipe is similar. She used shortening.)

(makes 4 single crusts)

4 cups flour
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup butter
1 T.  vinegar
1 egg
1/2 cup water

Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or your fingers or a food processor.
In a separate bowl mix vinegar, egg, and water. Add it to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until moistened. Use your hands to mold into 4 equal balls. The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use.
When ready to bake a pie, flour your surface and roll the crust starting from the middle and moving out, till it’s about 2 inches larger than the size of your pie dish. 
Gently roll your dough into a loose log or around your rolling pin. Lay it in the pan, unroll the crust, and gently fit it in-place–don’t pull or tug on the crust. Trim the uneven edges, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhang under on the edge of the pan. Then use your fingers to flute the edges. If you want a lattice crust, roll out another piece of dough to a circle a little bigger than the pie pan. Make strips with a pizza cutter or knife. My strips are about 3/4" wide. Put them on the top, weaving over and under until finished, then crimp the top edges into the rest of the pie.