Best-Ever Cherry Pie
Whether you make pie dough from scratch or buy pre-made crusts, these four steps will keep it crisp-tender as it bakes.
Cooking the juicy fruit on the stovetop traps the juices into the filling so they don’t run out in the oven. It only takes 10 minutes.
Brushing the empty pie crust with egg wash creates a protective barrier between the raw dough and the filling. You’ll brush the remaining egg wash onto the top crust for a shiny, golden finish.
When making Fruit pies with a double crust, the steam needs to escape for the filling to thicken properly, and releasing that steam prevents the bottom crust from getting soggy. A classic lattice crust provides plenty of ventilation.
Bake the pie on a preheated baking sheet. A blast of heat on the bottom of your pie pan right as the pie goes into the oven will quickly help brown and cook the bottom crust.
Ingredients
Filling
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) fresh sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted (I use frozen sweet cherries completely thawed). Bing and Rainier are among the best sweet cheeries.
1 tablespooon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Crust
1 16-ounce package prepared pie crusts, thawed if frozen (or 2 homemade pie crusts)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon coarse sugar, such as demerara
Preparation
Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a large saucepan. Add the cherries, vanilla, and salt and toss to coat in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. Cook over medium-high heat until the cherries begin to break down and the mixture begins to simmer and thicken slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely while you prepare the crust.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, set a baking sheet on it, and heat the oven to 375°F. Unroll one of the pie doughs and transfer it to a 9-inch standard pie pan. Press the dough into the bottom and along the sides of the pie plate, being careful not to puncture the dough.
Egg wash and fill the pie shell. Whisk the egg and water together with a fork in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Brush the inside of the pie crust with a thin layer of the egg wash (save the remaining for brushing the top crust). Pour the cooled filling into the crust.
Make a lattice top crust. Unroll the second pie dough and lightly flour the surface. Cut into 1-inch wide strips. Transfer every other strip to the top of the pie, spacing them evenly. Create a lattice pattern by alternating and folding in the remaining strips.
Egg wash and sugar the top crust. Brush the lattice crust and edges of the pie dough with the egg wash, then sprinkle generously with the coarse sugar.
Bake the pie on the hot baking sheet. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and bake until the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. If the edges of the pie crust are browning too quickly, cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Cool before slicing. Transfer the pie to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before slicing, about 4 hours.
Keywords: Dessert Pie
