How to Make a Simple Cherry Pie

Few things are more American than cherry pie,

Summertime is perfect for picnics, beach parties, barbecues and celebrating America's birthday. No summer meal would be complete without a fresh, tasty dessert. Few things are more American than cherry pie, so celebrate the warm weather and outdoor festivities with a delicious, baked cherry pie. To make fresh baked cherry pie at home requires fresh cherries and a crust made from scratch.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean (remove seeds)
• 6 cups of fresh pitted cherries or 1 3/4 lbs. frozen cherries
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 tbsp. butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven to catch any overflowing juices. To simplify the recipe, use a premade dough. Lightly flour your work surface and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Then cut out a circle that is 11 inches in diameter and lay it in a pie tin. Fit the dough into the tin by pressing down on it and fitting it around the rim of the tin. Then put it in the refrigerator to cool. You will use the remaining dough to prepare your lattice strips.

2. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Roll out the rest of the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Trim the dough so that it makes a rectangle that is approximately 9 inches by 12 inches. Using a ruler and sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut out 16 strips of dough. They should be about 12 inches long and a 1/2 inch wide. Place the strips on with a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife. Place the strips on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

3. Next, combine the sugar, salt, cornstarch and cinnamon in a large bowl. Rub the vanilla seeds into the dry ingredient mixture. Add the cherries and toss them with the sugar mixture. Remove the pie tin from the refrigerator and pour the cherry mixture onto the dough. Dot the mixture with butter. Using a baking brush, lightly coat the exposed crust with egg wash.

4. Make the lattice to cover the pie. First, lay eight of the premade strips of dough across the top, folding back every other strip. Then lay a strip perpendicular to each strip you already placed on the pie. Unfold the strips over them. Fold back the strips that are under the perpendicular strip. Lay another perpendicular strip and unfold the folded strips over that strip. Repeat the process to create a weaved look across half the pie. At the center of the pie, begin placing perpendicular strips on the other half of the pie and repeat until you have finished the lattice pattern. Trim the strip to create a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the overhanging dough under the rim of the pie crust and and using your fingers to push down on it to seal it. Brush the lattice with egg wash.

5. Put the pie in the oven and bake until the crust appears golden brown and the cherry juices are bubbling. This should take about 1 hour if you are using fresh cherries and about 1 hour and 35 minutes for frozen cherries. If you find that the crust is burning, place a piece of aluminum foil over it and continue to bake the pie. When the pie is finished, place it on a wire rack to cool.

References

• MSNBC.com: Martha Stewart's Sour and Sweet Cherry Pie
• Food Network: Cherry Pie Recipe