A very good cherry pie

I've posted one cherry pie recipe but this one is also very good and uses less cherries.

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

20 ounces frozen pitted sour cherries (without sugar)

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

1 egg yolk or heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Make pastry and refrigerate.

Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup liquid. In a saucepan combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in cherry liquid and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken.

When mixture is thickened, add butter, almond extract and cherries. Cover and refrigerate.

On lightly covered surface, roll out half of the pastry into an 11 inch circle. Put into 9 inch somewhat shallow pie dish. Roll other half of pastry into another 11 inch circle. With a knife or pastry wheel, cut eight 1/2 inch strips.

Pour cooled cherry filling into pie dish. Place pastry strips horizontally, then vertically, across the top of the pie.  Weave into a lattice crust.  You can also cut out the top crust with cookie cutters and place the pie crust "cookies" on top of the pie. Brush lightly with egg yolk or heavy cream and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes then lower the heat to 350 and bake 20-30 minutes.  I always use a pie sheld so that edges of the crust do not get overcooked.  When the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, the pie is done.  Cool before serving.

This is a link to all the great ways that other cooks have decorated their pies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Cherry-Pie/Photo-Gallery.aspx

Adapted from Allrecipes.com