Fresh Homemade Cherry Pie

A while ago, Bob & I were contacted by Taste of Home to review their “Cooking School Cookbook” and immediately we said yes. Taste of Home is one of the premier cookbook companies so how could we say no?! One of the recipes that first caught my eye was the Cherry Pie recipe – I’ve never cooked a pie from scratch before and each summer we have pounds upon pounds of fresh tart cherries. With my schedule finally freeing up and having a free evening, I dove into the kitchen to make this pie. Let’s get to the recipe!

Fresh Homemade Cherry Pie| Adapted from “Taste of Home: Cooking School Cookbook”

Pie Filling

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup cherry juice blend
• 4 cups fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp pure almond extract

Pastry

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 5 to 7 tbsp cold water

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, gradually stir in cherry juice until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and almond extract. Stir until combined and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt, cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add in cold water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Divide pastry in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger ball to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate, trim one inch beyond the edge of plate. Add in the filling. Roll out remaining pastry; make a lattice crust to allow the berries to bake beautifully inside the pie. Trim the the pastry, seal and flute edges.

Here is a little video tutorial on how to lattice a pie (something I probably should have watched BEFORE I made the pie, because I screwed my lattice up, but hey, it’s still tasted delicious!):

Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and bake for 45-50 minutes longer or until the crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Once cool, slice and enjoy! I really think this cherry pie is elevated to another level thanks to the cinnamon and nutmeg. But the best part of the recipe, it’s easy enough for any beginner to try! We should also mention that because Taste of Home is so awesome, we have a “Taste of Home: Cooking School Cookbook” to give away to our Canadian/American readers! Stay tuned for this giveaway.

Carlene