Cherry Pie
I am posting this recipe for cherry pie because it is my daughter-in-law, Jenny's, absolute favorite kind of pie. I've found it hard to find a good recipe for cherry pie using fresh or frozen cherries. I buy 5# pounds of frozen Door County pie cherries at the end of the season. These are the best cherries to use for pie if you can find them in your area. Be sure to buy them without sugar so that you can control the amount you want.
Prize Winning Cherry Pie
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Grenadine syrup
2 pounds frozen cherries, thawed
1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
2 tablespoons Butter
Pastry for double-crust 9-inch (recipe below)
2 teaspoons Milk
Baking sugar or Raw sugar crystals
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan; stir mixture to remove lumps. Stir grenadine syrup into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Add cherries; simmer until liquid is thickened and transparent (about 4 minutes), stirring gently once or twice. Add almond extract and butter, stirring until butter melts; cool.
Roll out half of pastry to 1/8" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in a 9" deep-dish pie plate; trim off excess pastry along edges. Pour cooled cherry mixture into pastry shell. Roll remaining pastry to 1/8" thickness; transfer to top of pie. You could also cut the rolled out pastry into strips and top pie with a lattice top crust.
Trim off excess pastry along edges. Fold edges under and flute. Cut slits in top crust for steam to escape unless you have made a lattice crust. This is a link to a video on how to make a lattice crust. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2078655/how_to_make_a_lattice_top_pie_crust/ Of course you won't be using a Pillsbury crust (or maybe you will) but either way its useful to watch how its done. Brush top of pastry shell lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cover edge of crust with a pie shield. Bake at 400ºF for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool pie before serving. Yield: one 9-inch pie.
NOTE: Two pounds fresh cherries, pitted, may be substituted for frozen cherries.
Adapted from That's My Home
This is a recipe for a pie crust that I liked a lot when I made it. It was easy and turned out to be everything you'd like in a pie crust.
Pie Dough in a Food Processor
2 1/2 cups flour, chilled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/3 cup ice water
Begin with well-chilled ingredients and measure carefully. Fit the food processor with the metal blade. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of the processor and blend for 5 seconds.
Add the butter and shortening to the dry mixture. Pulse 3-4 times and then leave the processor on for 5-10 seconds. The mixture should resemble coarse meal. With the motor running, add the ice water through the funnel. Process until the dough begins to come together and hold its shape when pressed.
Remove the dough from the bowl. It should feel cohesive, cool and moist, but not overly sticky. The crumbs should adhere to the ball of dough, leaving the bowl clean. Flatten the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. (This allows the gluten in the dough to relax, the moisture to permeate the dough, and for the fat to firm up.)
Tips: If the dough is too crumbly, add a few drops of ice water.
Be careful not to over process the dough; take it out as soon as it begins to form a clump.
Butter adds flavor to the pastry, while the shortening will lighten it.
Pastry dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen.
Prize Winning Cherry Pie
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Grenadine syrup
2 pounds frozen cherries, thawed
1/2 teaspoon Almond extract
2 tablespoons Butter
Pastry for double-crust 9-inch (recipe below)
2 teaspoons Milk
Baking sugar or Raw sugar crystals
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan; stir mixture to remove lumps. Stir grenadine syrup into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Add cherries; simmer until liquid is thickened and transparent (about 4 minutes), stirring gently once or twice. Add almond extract and butter, stirring until butter melts; cool.
Roll out half of pastry to 1/8" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in a 9" deep-dish pie plate; trim off excess pastry along edges. Pour cooled cherry mixture into pastry shell. Roll remaining pastry to 1/8" thickness; transfer to top of pie. You could also cut the rolled out pastry into strips and top pie with a lattice top crust.
Trim off excess pastry along edges. Fold edges under and flute. Cut slits in top crust for steam to escape unless you have made a lattice crust. This is a link to a video on how to make a lattice crust. http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2078655/how_to_make_a_lattice_top_pie_crust/ Of course you won't be using a Pillsbury crust (or maybe you will) but either way its useful to watch how its done. Brush top of pastry shell lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cover edge of crust with a pie shield. Bake at 400ºF for 55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool pie before serving. Yield: one 9-inch pie.
NOTE: Two pounds fresh cherries, pitted, may be substituted for frozen cherries.
Adapted from That's My Home
This is a recipe for a pie crust that I liked a lot when I made it. It was easy and turned out to be everything you'd like in a pie crust.
Pie Dough in a Food Processor
2 1/2 cups flour, chilled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
1/3 cup ice water
Begin with well-chilled ingredients and measure carefully. Fit the food processor with the metal blade. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of the processor and blend for 5 seconds.
Add the butter and shortening to the dry mixture. Pulse 3-4 times and then leave the processor on for 5-10 seconds. The mixture should resemble coarse meal. With the motor running, add the ice water through the funnel. Process until the dough begins to come together and hold its shape when pressed.
Remove the dough from the bowl. It should feel cohesive, cool and moist, but not overly sticky. The crumbs should adhere to the ball of dough, leaving the bowl clean. Flatten the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. (This allows the gluten in the dough to relax, the moisture to permeate the dough, and for the fat to firm up.)
Tips: If the dough is too crumbly, add a few drops of ice water.
Be careful not to over process the dough; take it out as soon as it begins to form a clump.
Butter adds flavor to the pastry, while the shortening will lighten it.
Pastry dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen.
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