Sweet Cherry Pie

It was one of our friends birthdays and instead of your traditional cakes, we opted for a pie! This was the first time we had ever attempted to make a pie, pie crust, or lattice (the over-under basket weaving top). To our surprise, it was not that difficult. It came out GREAT and if you follow the directions, this is practically fool proof. This is sure to please any pie lover!

Ingredients for Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
5 tablespoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Ingredients for Pie Filling
2 pounds Bing cherries, pitted and halved
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions for Pie Crust
1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse briefly. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.
2. Divide dough in half, and turn out onto two large pieces of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over each portion of dough; press to shape into two 3/4-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days); dough can also be frozen up to 3 months (thaw before using).
3. On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll one disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Wrap dough around rolling pin; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and sides of plate (do not stretch dough). Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang all around. Reserve and refrigerate remaining disk of dough for top crust.


Directions for Pie Filling
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with rack in lowest position.
2. Place pitted and halved cherries in a medium sauce pan. Cover and cook until they lose a considerable amount of juice (a few minutes) Remove from Heat. (Tip for doing cherries: Use a knife to circle the cherry pit, twist like an Oreo, pull off one side, and remove the pit from the other)
3. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together and add to the hot cherries. Mix well. Add the lemon juice. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened; stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. (if the filling is too thick, add a little water; too thin, add a little more cornstarch).


Directions for Assembly
1. Pour cooled mixture into crust.
2. On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll second disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Cut into eight 1/4-1/2 inch-wide strips. Weave strips over filling to form a lattice (Tip for latticing: Lay one piece across the pie in the middle, lay another perpendicular to the first also in the center. You now have a cross. Place another piece along side the first and over the second. Now this is where it becomes tricky! Fold the first strip back and place the second perpendicular strip down and then fold the first one back into place. Fold back the second piece you put down and place the next one along side the third piece you put down. Fold the second piece back into place. Continue this pattern of folding back pie dough to make an over-under basket-weaving lattice). Using kitchen shears, trim strips so they hang over rim by 1 inch. Tuck strips under rim of bottom crust; press to seal. Crimp with a fork all around the edge.


3. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush lattice with egg wash, and sprinkle with granulated sugar (get your hands dirty and use your fingers if you do not have a pastry brush).


4. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is bubbling rapidly all over, 50 minutes (tent with aluminum foil when crust starts to brown, about 30 minutes). Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature, at least 3 hours.