Description
This classic sour cherry pie features a tangy and sweet filling made from frozen tart cherries thickened with cornstarch and a hint of warm spices, all encased in a flaky homemade pie crust with a beautiful lattice top. Perfectly baked to a golden brown, it's an ideal summer dessert served best with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Cherry Filling
- 2 pounds frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed, juices reserved
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
- 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
Topping
- 1 large egg
- Coarse sugar, optional
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the cherries: Place the thawed cherries in a strainer set over a bowl to catch excess juices. Measure out 1 cup of the reserved cherry juice and save any extra juice for another use. Transfer the cherries to a large mixing bowl.
- Make cornstarch slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and ¼ cup water until smooth, then set aside.
- Cook cherry filling: Pour the 1 cup cherry juice into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add sugar and stir until dissolved, then bring back to a boil. Gradually stir in the cornstarch slurry, cooking until the mixture thickens and turns clear and glossy. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, ground ginger, almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Let the filling cool completely.
- Prepare bottom crust: Roll out the chilled pie crust dough according to your pie crust recipe instructions, leaving a ½-inch overhang on all sides of a 9- or 9.5-inch pie plate. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F placing a baking sheet on the bottom rack.
- Prepare top crust: Roll out the remaining pie dough and transfer it to a baking sheet. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the bottom crust finishes chilling.
- Assemble the pie: Whisk together the large egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash. Remove bottom crust from fridge and pour in the cooled cherry filling.
- Create lattice top: Transfer the top crust to a cutting board and slice it into 1-inch strips using a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Lay 4 to 5 strips evenly spaced crosswise over the filling. Weave 4 to 5 additional strips over and under these strips to form a lattice. Trim excess dough and fold the bottom crust edges over the lattice, aligning with the pie plate rim. Crimp edges with fingers or a fork to seal.
- Apply egg wash: Brush the lattice with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired for extra crunch and sweetness.
- Bake the pie: Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbles. If the edges brown too quickly, tent with foil to prevent burning.
- Cool and serve: Let the pie cool completely for about 4 hours to allow the filling to set before slicing. Serve slices warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- If you do not have enough juice from thawed cherries, microwave the cherries in 15-second intervals until you obtain 1 cup of juice.
- Make the pie crust dough a day ahead and keep chilled for easier handling and better texture.
- The lattice top not only looks beautiful but helps steam to escape, preventing soggy crust.
- Use tart cherries like Montmorency for traditional sourness; sweet cherries will alter the flavor profile.
- Coarse sugar on top adds a lovely sparkle and crunch but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Cooling the pie fully is important for the filling to thicken properly and prevent runny slices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 pie)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
