Homemade Cherry Pie with Flaky Lattice Crust

nibbleboard.com/recipes/cherry-pie-recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Make the pie crust. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter cubes and cut in using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
2. Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just comes together when squeezed. Divide into two equal discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Make the filling. Toss halved cherries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large bowl until evenly coated. Let sit for 10 minutes so the cherries release some juice.
4. Strain the cherry juices into a small saucepan through a fine mesh strainer, keeping the cherries in the bowl. Cook the juice over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and reduces slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then pour it back over the cherries and stir to combine.
5. Roll out the bottom crust. On a well-floured surface, roll one disc of chilled dough into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Gently transfer to a 9-inch pie dish, pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess overhang to about 1 inch. Refrigerate while you prepare the lattice.
6. Pour the cherry filling into the chilled pie crust, mounding slightly in the center. Dot the top with small cubes of cold butter.
7. Roll the second disc of dough into a 12-inch circle. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut into strips about 3/4-inch wide. Weave the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern, pressing the ends into the bottom crust edge. Fold the overhang up and over the lattice ends and crimp decoratively.
8. Beat the egg with milk and brush the lattice top and crimped edges with egg wash. Sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Refrigerate the assembled pie for 20-30 minutes while your oven preheats to 400°F (200°C).
9. Place the pie on a large baking sheet to catch drips. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
10. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for 30-40 minutes, until the lattice is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the gaps. If the edges brown too quickly, tent with foil.
11. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack for at least 3-4 hours before slicing. The filling needs this time to set — cutting too early means a runny pie.

Nutrition per Serving

Chef Tips

• I've found that reducing the cherry juices separately on the stovetop is the single biggest upgrade you can make. It concentrates the flavor and thickens the filling so your slices hold together instead of collapsing into a puddle.
• Keep everything cold — the butter, the water, even the bowl if you can. After trying it both ways a dozen times, I can tell you cold butter is what creates those flaky, shattery layers in the crust.
• Don't skip the 3-4 hour cooling time. I know it's painful to stare at a gorgeous pie and not eat it, but warm filling equals soup. Ask me how I know.
• No fresh cherries? Use 2 bags (about 24 oz total) of frozen sweet cherries, thawed and well-drained. Frozen actually work beautifully here — I use them most of the year.
• A quarter teaspoon of almond extract sounds tiny but it makes a huge difference. It doesn't make the pie taste like almonds — it just makes the cherries taste more like cherries.

Storage

Cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.