Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe

Cherry Pie Recipe - Loaded with Fresh Cherries and Baked in a Flakey Dough Crust

My homemade Cherry Pie recipe is bursting with fresh cherry flavor and baked in a golden, flaky crust. Follow a few simple steps so your pie is sliceable and and you don't wind up with a goopy mess. Even a novice baker will have success with this recipe. In just a few hours your family and friends will be enjoying this seasonal wonder!

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Living the New Jersey - a.k.a. "The Garden State" - I have access to wonderful dark, tart cherries starting late July and through August. I only offer cherry pies at the bakery during this time as I want the best for my customers. I seldom make this pie outside of cherry season as the cost of shipped cherries is a bit more than I am willing to pay - unless I just have to have one!

What Type of Cherries to Use in this Recipe:

The choice of which cherries to use in a pie is a personal choice. My personal choice is the darkest, tartest cherries I can find. My favorite variety is the Montmorency cherry.

For a brief history of cherry production and use visit "The National Cherry Festival" website.

How to Make this Cherry Pie:

You could just dump a bunch of cherries, cornstarch and sugar into a pie pan - but you will end up with a runny, soggy pie. Take a little extra time following the steps below for the perfect cherry pie. If you are a visual person, check out my video.

Prepare the Cherries:

• Preparing your cherries will take some time, and turn your hands red, but the resulting pie is worth it!
• Rinse the cherries well in cold water.
• Remove the stems and pits from the cherries. To pit cherries I use a #10 piping tip which I demonstrate in my video. Whole Foods Market has a helpful video which demonstrates four additional ways to pit a cherry.

Macerate the Cherries:

• Macerating will slightly soften your cherries and pull out some of their natural juices. This step is important to make a presentable pie slice.
• Toss your pitted cherries in a bowl with 50 grams (¼ cup) of granulated sugar. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the cherries to macerate. If you want to prepare the cherries the day before baking your pie, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
• After the cherries have released some of their juices, pour the cherries into a strainer placed over a bowl to collect the juices- you need this yummy, cherry-flavored juice for the next step.

Prepare the Slurry:

• Next prepare a slurry which will be used as the thickener for your pie.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to a small bowl and dissolve by whisking in 3 fluid ounces of cold water.
  • Place the following in a medium saucepan place: ½ cup of macerated cherries, reserved cherry juice, 50 grams granulated sugar (¼ cup), cinnamon, vanilla, and almond extract (optional).
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the cornstarch/water mixture to the pan and stir constantly until thick.
  • Remove pan from heat and let the slurry cool briefly.
  • Pour slurry over cherries and fold gently until all the cherries are coated.

Assemble the Pie

• This cherry pie is made in a 9" pie pan. I use my flaky dough recipe for this pie as it is buttery, delicious and strong enough to hold up to a heavy filling.
• Lightly whip an egg and brush the dough in the pan using a pastry brush. This will add a layer of protection to prevent a soggy bottom crust.
• Pour the cherry filling over the bottom crust in the pie pan. You do not need to par-bake the crust.
• Finish the pie with a top crust or lattice work. If using a top crust, place at least 4 slits in the dough to allow the steam to escape while baking.
• Apply the egg wash to the dough on the top of the pie and sprinkle generously with raw or granulated sugar.

Bake the Pie:

• Place the finished cherry pie on a cookie sheet or pie drip catcher to prevent any juices from dripping in your clean oven!
• This pie will start baking at a high temperature (425° F) for 10 minutes. The high temperature is needed to bake the crust quickly and form those flaky layers everyone loves.
• Lower the temperature to 350° after 10 minutes and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Check the pie occasionally. If the crust is turning too dark, place a pie shield over the outer crust or wrap loosely in foil.
• Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving (approximately 2 - 3 hours).
• Enjoy!