Sour Cherry
Cherry Pie
Crust
3 T almonds chopped or sliced
¾ c flour
½ c whole-wheat flour
½ t salt
1 t pepper
1 T sugar
1 stick frozen butter, cut into small pieces
2 T frozen lard, cut into small pieces
¼ c cold water
Grind the almonds in the food processor. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and pulse to blend. Add the butter and lard and pulse a few times till it is still full of little chunks but not as fine as cornmeal. At this point I remove the blade and add the water by hand, stirring with a fork.
Turn the dough onto a floured piece of wax paper. Grab clumps and set to the side. Take each clump, smear and pile them up. This makes the flakes. When done, form into a round and let chill for an hour.
Filling
5 c cherries
2 T cornstarch (or 2 T ground tapioca)
½ c sugar
2 T maple syrup
1 T kirsch
juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ t allspice
½ t cinnamon
Demerara or rough sugar for sprinkling
Mix all the ingredients together except demerara and let sit.
Preheat oven to 425º. Bake the crust for 12 minutes lined with foil and weights.
Remove foil and add filling. Lay foil over top and bake at 350º for 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is browned.
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Remove from oven and press cherries down into juices. Allow to cool, then eat!
I love a little whipped cream with rosewater or Aftelier’s Rose Absolute… really spectacular together!
Article comments
1 - Lazaro
Fantastic article Deana. Great historical information on cherries. I am a big fan of cherry pie and your looks quite appetizing.
2 - Irene
I am not enamored by cooking gadgets. I don't own a mango pitter, a pineapple corer, a strawberry slicer, or even a melon baller. My general feeling is that there is nothing I can't do with a decent paring knife, a vegetable peeler and a good zester (and my hands). My one exception to this rule is the cherry-pitter: best investment of $12 (or whatever it cost) that I ever made. And thanks for the recipe; it looks equal parts interesting and delicious!
3 - Linda
Deana that is such a magnificent pie...I can just taste it!
Until I received a cherry pitter as a gift I also used a paper clip or a bobby pin, that works really well too! Those cherries look like beautiful sour cherries...were they?
4 - Stella
Hey Deana, I don't like to admit it, but I don't think I've ever had a sour cherry. Cherries sure but not this variety. They sound wonderful though, and the history of the Romans spitting pits that resulted in cherry lined English roads is magnificent.
Oh, and that last photo of the pie is killer (smile)!