I grew up picking cherries every summer in Northern Michigan as a child and there’s nothing that screams summer in Michigan more than a freshly baked cherry pie with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
Out of all the pies I have made, this is probably the easiest to make. There are only 2 components to this pie: the crust & cherry filling. The pie dough recipe makes 2 crusts, wink wink you can make an extra pie : )
Perfectly, easy pie crust:
- Make sure to use cold, cubed butter to ensure you get the flakiest crust. I always chop my butter very finely, then pop it in the freezer until I’m ready to make the dough.
- Use a food processor or high powered blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec. This makes it SO much easier. Who knew it could take 5 minutes to make perfectly, flaky dough?
- The trick to flaky pie crust is to keep the butter as cold as possible during the process. If you see that your butter is thawing out, place it back in the freezer for a quick, flash freeze for 10-15 minutes.
Frozen or Fresh Cherries?
I personally like using fresh cherries since it gives the pie a more tart taste. The only downside is the time it takes to pit & chop the cherries. However, I have noticed that frozen cherries makes a more jam-y consistency. If you use frozen cherries, add 1-2 more tablespoons of cornstarch since they will release more juices in the oven & thus needs more thickening!
Trial & Error
I made the mistakes so you don’t have to!
- Please don’t replace the cornstarch with tapioca flour! It looked like the Sahara desert with shriveled up cherries scattered around. The filling became too powdery & once I removed the pie from the oven, there was weird bits of white powder everywhere : ( I think this was the case since the ratio of cornstarch: tapioca flour is 1: 2 & twice the amount of thickening substance completely dries out the cherry filling. I even tried to sieve the tapioca flour in & the result was the same. So just stick with the corn starch!
- Don’t forget to brush the edges of the pie with an egg wash! This ensures that the crust becomes a beautiful golden brown : )
Ingredients
Crust:
2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
3 tbsp (64 g)sugar
1 cup (240 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/3 cup (80 ml) ice cold water
Cherry Filling:
4 cups fresh cherries
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, beaten with a fork
Extra sugar to sprinkle on top
Directions:
For the crust:
- Chop butter and place in freezer for at least 15 minutes before you start making the dough. This is crucial!
- In a food processor (or high powered blender), pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together until combined. Then slowly add the butter, pulsing all the while, until you get a coarse meal. Slowly add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, and pulse until a dough ball forms. Only use enough water until a dough forms- make sure you don’t use anymore or any less.
- Turn your dough out onto a floured surface and split into 2 equal sized balls. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The dough will last up to 3 days in the fridge and a month in the freezer.
If using fresh cherries:
- Pit and halve the cherries (I like to make my sister do this). Add them to a mixing bowl with the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice and toss to combine. Set aside while you prepare the pie crust.
To Assemble:
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ / 200℃.
- Remove one chilled pie crust dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough to about 12” in diameter. Gently place in the pie dish & press the crust into the dish.
- Spoon the filling into the unbaked crust. I like to use a fork to make a simple design on the edges. This step is optional but it makes the pie looked more polished. Brush a thin layer of beaten egg on the edges & then lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Check it after about 25 minutes & gently place a piece of tinfoil over the edges to keep it from getting too brown. I remove the tinfoil about 5 minutes before it’s done baking.
- Remove from oven & allow to cool for 2- 4 hours. Once cooled completely, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please tag me @medhacooks on Instagram!
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