The key to this classic All-American Cherry Pie is the hint of almond, and the flavorful, buttery and flaky pastry. Use fresh, frozen or jarred/canned cherries for this delicious sweet dessert.

Overhead shot of baked Cherry Pie on a red and white embroidered tablecloth.

Anna is quite the baker; her pies always look amazing, so I asked her to show me how to prepare the dough using tips for her perfect crust.

I didn't have to twist her arm. She knew that she would be rewarded with a delicious dessert at the end!

All-American Cherry Pie before being baked.

The filling is easy to make and takes only minutes to prepare. You can use either fresh, frozen, sweet and sour cherries, or cherries from a jar.

I prefer the Zergut Pitted Sour Cherries in a jar, found in many local grocery stores, because the cherries are a perfect balance of sweet and tart and are also very flavorful. Morello Cherries in light syrup are also good to use.

Slice of All-American Cherry Pie with a scoop of ice cream.

This All-American Cherry Pie is delicious as a treat for your family or to serve to company!

How to Make a Perfect Pie Crust

Mixing the Dough

Make sure your butter/shortening is super cold (you could even freeze the butter for few minutes). After you've pulsed the flour and salt, THEN remove the butter from the fridge and cut it in chunks.
Fill a glass measuring cup with water and add ice. Then just dip your tablespoon into the cup to measure the water.
If you work quickly and your butter and water are really cold, you may be able to skip the refrigeration part of the recipe.

Rolling the Dough

Flour your rolling surface and your rolling pin then place the disk of dough on the flour, then sprinkle some more flour over the top of the disk and start rolling.
When rolling out the dough, treat it like a delicate flower. A rolling pin is heavy, there is no need to press on the dough; roll the pin so the dough pushes out underneath it. Start from the middle and work your way out to the edge.
Once you've rolled a couple of times, sprinkle some more flour on top then gently flip the dough over, sprinkle with more flour and continue rolling. Do this a couple of times to ensure the dough doesn't stick to your surface.
Try not to overwork the dough as that is what will make it tough. Handle it as little and as gently as possible.

Putting the Crust in the Pie Pan

You can carefully fold the crust into fourths, then lifted it gently into a 9-inch pie pan placing the point of the triangle in the center of the pan.
Some people like to drape the crust over their rolling pin and lay it in the pie tin.
Once the crust is in the pan, use a fork to pierce some holes in the bottom and sides.

Best Pie Baking Hint

If you place the pie on a lower oven rack, the bottom crust is more likely to bake better, because it will get heat directly from the oven elements.

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Overhead shot of a baked cherry pie on a red and white tablecloth.

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All-American Cherry Pie

The key to this classic All-American Cherry Pie is the blend of sweet and sour cherries, the hint of almond and the flavorful, buttery and flaky pastry.

Be sure to use just cherries and not "cherry pie filling" for this recipe. If you do accidentally pick up the "pie filling," just leave out the flour, sugar, and extract.

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Pastry Chilling Time1

Total Time2 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cherry Pie

Author: Jurga

Ingredients

Ingredients for 9-inch Two-Crust Pie:

2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
9 Tablespoons Crisco vegetable shortening, cold, cut into small cubes
9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
6-8 Tablespoons ice water
OR Use a pre-made pie crust!

Ingredients for Pie Filling:

⅓ cup flour
1 cup sugar
5 cups (56 ounce jar) dark sour cherries in light syrup, drained (Zergut Sour Cherries or Morello)
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 Tablespoons butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar for sprinkle

Instructions

Food Processor Pie Crust :

Pulse the flour and salt together in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, to combine.
Add the very cold cubes of butter and shortening and pulse until mixture is crumbly and mealy, with pieces no bigger than peas.
Add one tablespoon of ice water and pulse 4 or 5 times.
Add another tablespoon of ice water and pulse.
Continue adding water and pulsing carefully until dough just stays together when pressed in your palms. It will still look crumbly in the bowl. Do not over process or the pastry will be tough rather than flaky.
Remove dough from food processor and press together into a ball. Divide dough into two 5" disks, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour, or up to 2 days.

Cherry Pie assembly:

Preheat oven to 400º F.
In a large bowl mix together the flour and sugar.
Stir in the drained cherries and set aside.
Sprinkle a smooth surface with flour and flour your rolling pin. Roll out both circles of dough to about ⅛" thick. They should be about 2 inches larger around than your pie plate.
Fold one circle in half, then fold in half again so you have a triangle. Lift it carefully and place it in the pie plate so the point of the triangle is at the center of the pie pan.
Unfold the crust.
Using kitchen shears or scissors trim the edges so the overhang is about an inch.
Turn the cherry mix into the pastry-lined pie plate.
Sprinkle with the almond extract and dot with butter.
Moisten the edge of the bottom crust.
Place the top crust carefully over the cherries in the same way as in step #5 above and flute the edges by pinching the two together.
Brush the top of the crust lightly with the beaten egg.
Lightly sprinkle with sugar.
Make several slits in the middle of the crust for the steam to vent.
Cover the edge of the pie with a 2-3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning; remove during the last 15 minutes of baking.
Place the pie on a baking sheet.
Bake until the crust is golden brown and the juice begins to bubble through the vents, about 30-40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the pie cool on a wire rack.
Serve each slice with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream for an amazing treat!

Notes

Anna's Gr8 Tips for the Perfect Pie Crust:

Make sure your butter (and shortening, if using) is cold, cold, cold.
Fill a glass measuring cup with water and add ice. Then just dip your tablespoon into the cup to measure the water.
If you work quickly and your butter and water are really cold, you may be able to skip the refrigeration part of the recipe. (My mom never refrigerated her crust before rolling it out. She says, "I had 4 little kids running around, I had to get the pie made and in the oven!")
When rolling out the dough, treat it like a delicate flower. A rolling pin is heavy, there is no need to press on the dough; roll the pin so the dough pushes out underneath it. Start from the middle and work your way out to the edge. Try not to overwork the dough as that is what will make it tough. Handle it as little and as gently as possible.

Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!

Be sure to buy cherries, not "cherry pie filling." The filling is all ready to go into a pie, no additions needed. Of course, you can use this! But, just don't add any of the extra ingredients in this recipe.