My life-long aversion to cherries, in any form, has begun to dissolve. A few weeks ago, I bought some dried cherries for some cookies I planned on making and tried them, as I always do, to check and see if I liked them yet. And, I did. A lot. While I haven’t attempted the cookies yet (there were some really hot days right after I got the cherries–too hot to turn on the oven), I’m not entirely sure I have enough for my recipe. I enjoyed them that much.
Then, Andrew bought a bag of sweet dark cherries from our grocery store. The next several nights, we sat on the couch sharing a bowlful and spitting the pits and stems into a small ramekin.
Then, we saw that Klug Farms had an assortment of varieties for sampling at the farmer’s market on Tuesday. Andrew was with me, so I encouraged him to try them and tell me which was best. At this point, I’m not completely convinced that I’m a cherry person. He, on the other hand, is and if I’m going to make something with cherries, I’d much rather it be something he prefers. He chose the sour cherries and I bought a quart of them.
I thought about canning them. They are the prettiest little things to look at. But why can them when I have the perfect amount for a pie? Plus, a classic cherry pie would be a good third date: if I couldn’t love a cherry pie then I couldn’t love cherries. Plus, last month’s Bon Appetit had a recipe with rave reviews on Epicurious. I prepared the crust that night and pitted the cherries while indulging in a little TV. (Side note: That night, I had a dream about holes being punched into the street outside my window with a giant cherry pitter-like construction vehicle.)
Yesterday afternoon, after hours of reading dense theology articles at the library, I came home ready to start my pie. The plan was to share it with some of our favorite friends while watching Top Chef Masters, perhaps the most boring food reality show to ever air. All went according to plan. No debacles or flubs to report on. The show was even extra boring, with all likable chefs and no one to really root against or for. I followed the recipe almost exactly and had no problems at all. I wanted to dive in as soon as it came out of the oven, but was committed to waiting until it fully cooled and our friends showed up.
The verdict: this pie is good, but I’m still not convinced I love cherries. I think we’re just going to be friends. I am, however, convinced that this is the best pie crust I have ever made. It’s perfect and flaky. I noted this and have committed to preparing a blueberry pie using this crust recipe in the next couple of weeks. Blueberries, I’m totally committed to, so instead of being a test of my commitment, the blueberry pie will just be a trip down memory lane:
(Keep reading for the recipe.)
Classic Cherry Pie w/Lattice Crust
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Crust:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water
Filling:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 quart sour cherries, pitted
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon (about) milk
Crust:
Start the crust in the morning or the night before you plan to make the pie.
Pulse together quickly in a food processor the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until small pea-size clumps form. Add 5 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough forms a ball. Divide the ball into 2 pieces and form each into disk and wrap in plastic. (I usually don’t even touch the dough, but shape it using the plastic wrap.) Refrigerate at least 2 hours for best results.
For filling:
Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla; set aside.
Putting the pie together:
Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips from dough round. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter. Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold bottom crust up over ends of strips and crimp edges to seal. Brush lattice crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle lattice with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, covering edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 45 minutes to 1 hour longer, depending on the oven. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.
mmmmm
how about bringing some of this over to my house next time?