Description
This classic sour cherry pie features a perfectly flaky homemade crust and a luscious, glossy cherry filling infused with cinnamon, ginger, and almond extract. Ideal for summer or anytime with frozen cherries, it’s best served chilled with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 2 pounds frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed, juices reserved
- 1 cup cherry juice, reserved from cherries
- 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
Crust and Topping
- 1 recipe Pie Crust, chilled at least 2 hours
- 1 large egg
- Coarse sugar, optional
Serving
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare cherries: Place the thawed cherries in a strainer set over a bowl to catch the juices. Measure out 1 cup of the reserved cherry juice and save any extra for another 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. Set aside.
- Cook filling: Pour the 1 cup cherry juice into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cane sugar, stir until dissolved and boil again. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until the juices thicken and become clear and glossy. Remove from heat and pour over the cherries. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, almond extract, and salt. Let cool completely.
- Prepare bottom crust: Roll out the chilled bottom crust dough, leaving a ½-inch overhang around the pie plate. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position an oven rack in the bottom third and preheat the oven to 425°F with a baking sheet on the rack.
- Prepare top crust: Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust. Place it on a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while the bottom crust chills.
- Assemble pie: Whisk together the egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water. Pour the cooled cherry filling into the chilled bottom crust. Transfer the top crust to a cutting board and cut it into 1-inch strips. Arrange 4 to 5 strips crosswise over the pie, then weave 4 to 5 more strips through them to form a lattice. Trim edges and fold the bottom crust over the lattice edge to seal, crimping to secure.
- Apply finishing touches: Brush the lattice crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake pie: Place the pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Then reduce heat to 375°F and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles. Tent crust edges with foil if they brown too quickly.
- Cool and serve: Let the pie cool completely for about 4 hours before slicing. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- If you do not have 1 cup of cherry juice, microwave the cherries for 15 seconds to release more juice, repeating as needed until you have 1 cup. Save any extra juice for another use.
- Make the pie dough and filling 1 to 2 days ahead to save time on baking day.
- Using frozen tart cherries works well year-round and yields a beautifully tart and flavorful filling.
- Tent crust edges with foil if they brown before the filling bubbles to prevent burning.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a classic pairing.
