Tart Cherry Pie

I feel like a bit of a fake posting a pie recipe on the blog, since I have made a pie all of maybe three times in my life.  That said, this pie was delicious and this blog is for sharing, so I wouldn't want to hold out on you all. Also, I think I get major street cred for actually picking alllll the little cherries from the tree in our back yard.  Can't get any more local than that!

     So without further adieu, here's a super easy recipe for tart cherry pie.  Only bother serving this if you have a healthy portion of vanilla ice cream on hand.  The tart cherries with the sweet vanilla is heaven.  Also, as with most things, it helps if you have a beautiful assistant to help you out, especially with the tedious task of pitting a large amount of small cherries.  (Thanks R!)

Recipe by Felicia Amidon from Daves Garden here

Felicia's Famous Cherry Pie (adapted from an old Betty Crocker recipe) 4 cups pitted tart cherries 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (or 3 Tablespoons cornstarch) juice of 1/4 lemon 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 2-3 Tablespoons unsalted butter Two 9 inch pie crusts Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°^F
2. Pie crust: you'll need a top and bottom crust
*I used store bought Pillsbury refrigerated crusts. 
3. Combine cherries, sugar, flour or cornstarch, and lemon juice.  Fit the bottom crust into a deep dish 9 inch pie plate, and mound the filling into the crust. Sprinkle with almond extract.  Cut the butter into bits and dot in on top of the filling.
4. You can either place the top crust over the fruit and cut some vent holes in it, or you can cut it into strips and weave a lattice top. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together around the sides, either shaping or trimming away any extra dough. 
*I cut a star shape in the middle and small holes to vent.
5. Put the pie in the oven and slide a cookie sheet on the rack below it to catch any juice that bubbles over. Do this even if you think your pie pan is so deep the juice could not possibly bubble over. It will.
6. Bake the pie at 425°^Ffor 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°^Fand continue baking another 15 to 30 minutes (allow up to 1 hour total baking time). The pie is done when the crust is nicely browned and thick juices are bubbling out of the vents in the top crust.
Let pie cool before cutting if you want pretty pieces. Warm pie, however, is delicious with vanilla ice cream, and nobody much cares how it looks.

*Mini Pies:
I used the leftover cherry filling I made to make some mini pies too!  Basically you follow the same exact recipe above, but use cupcake tins instead of big pie pans.  Also, the baking time will be shorter for these, so just keep on eye out until they turn golden brown on top! To make the miniature crusts, just roll out the dough and use something like the rim of a glass as a cookie cutter of sorts to cut out the mini top and bottom circles for the pie.  Put one mini circle crust on the bottom, fill 1/2 - 3/4 of the way full with the filling, and then press the top crust on and pinch the edges - voila! Mini pie!

**Also note:  These are not the large sweet cherries you usually find in grocery stores.  Its a backyard variety of cherries that are smaller and much more sour!

Enjoy!  What summertime treats have you been making?
xo H