1700s-present - English American pie bakers, cherry growers, and home cooks using sour cherries

Cherry Pie

Name: Cherry Pie
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 double-crust pie dough; 5 cups pitted sour cherries, fresh, frozen, or jarred and drained; 1 cup sugar, adjusted to taste; 3 tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces; 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash; Coarse sugar, optional

A double-crust sour cherry pie with a bright tart-sweet filling thickened just enough to slice cleanly.

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Difficulty

Moderate

Prep time

35 minutes

Cook time

55 minutes

Total time

3 hours including cooling

Servings

8 servings

Region

United States pie tables, especially cherry-growing regions

Era introduced

1700s-present

Introduced by

English American pie bakers, cherry growers, and home cooks using sour cherries

Recipe tools

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The Story

Cherry pie became American through the broader transformation of English pie technique into fruit-filled American baking. Tart cherries are especially suited to pie because sugar sharpens rather than hides their flavor. The Washington cherry-tree legend helped attach cherries to patriotic memory, even if the story is folklore; real cherry orchards, canning, and freezing made sour cherry pie a practical national dessert.

Ingredients

1 double-crust pie dough
5 cups pitted sour cherries, fresh, frozen, or jarred and drained
1 cup sugar, adjusted to taste
3 tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Coarse sugar, optional

Equipment

Pie plate
Oven
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Mixing bowl
Pastry brush
Measuring cups and spoons

Directions

Heat oven to 425 F.
Roll bottom crust into a 9-inch pie plate and chill.
Toss cherries with sugar, tapioca starch or cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract if using, and salt.
Let filling stand 10 minutes.
Pour filling into crust and dot with butter.
Top with a lattice or full top crust and crimp edges.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using.
Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F and bake until bubbling and golden, 30 to 40 minutes more.
Cool at least 2 hours before slicing.

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Setting the table...

Cherry Pie

Save to a Collection

The Story

Ingredients

Equipment

Directions

Community Recipes

Community Reviews

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