i hope you haven’t quite started up the new year’s resolutions yet - because pie. i made this for both thanksgiving and christmas this year and i looooove it because it’s like an old fashioned i can chew. an ingredient distinction i learned between the two holidays: if possible head to your freezer section and buy a big bag of “pie cherries” not just any old frozen cherries. they are smaller, brighter and lend themselves to this recipe a bit better than other varieties.
also err on the side of over baking rather than under baking. it’s real easy to get a soupy filling. just to be on the safe side i added an extra dusting of corn starch on the bottom crust to try and counteract any sogginess.
| ingredients |
double batch pie crust
filling
2 pounds frozen pie cherries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch + additional for dusting
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons bourbon
for finishing:
sugar
cinnamon
egg
| method |
prepare your pie crusts and set in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the frozen cherries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cayenne, bourbon and salt. stir until the cherries are coated and set aside for 10-20 minutes.
preheat oven to 425 degrees.
remove your pie crust from the fridge and let soften on the counter for 5 minutes. roll out the bottom crust and transfer to a greased pie dish. at this point i like to add a very light dusting of cornstarch to the bottom of the pie to help firm up any wayward juice.
spoon your prepared filling into your pie crust, leaving any excess juice that has accumulated in the bowl behind. (you may or may not have excess juice depending on the type of cherries used.) roll out your top pie crust, crimp your pie and stick in the freezer for 15 minutes. this helps your pie retain its shape when baking, something i appreciate especially for holiday pies.
in a small bowl mix together cinnamon and sugar (or just sugar if that’s more your speed), and in another small bowl, beat one egg. when ready to bake, remove your pie from the freezer, brush with your beaten egg, and then sprinkle with the sugar or cinnamon sugar mixture. the cinnamon sugar will give your pie a more browned look depending on your ratio of cinnamon to sugar used.
bake on top of a cookie sheet (to catch any spills!) for 15 minutes at 425, then lower heat to 375 and bake for 30-35 minutes more. if the top of your pie is browning too much for your liking, wrap it in foil and continue to bake. you will want to bake it for the full time for the sake of getting that filling to set.