I am so happy there is a national holiday celebrating the cherry pie! Who doesn’t love a splendid cherry pie fresh from the oven? It’s my dad’s favorite, and he requests it for his birthday instead of cake. Can we also count a cherry cobbler as a pie? Yes! I say anything that has crust and cherries qualifies as a cherry pie.
Some of you gourmet chefs will die when I tell you that I use canned cherries many times. OK, so now that we are over that, let’s talk about the making of a great pie. When I can find fresh cherries in season, I love to cook with them. So whether you make your filling or purchase it, make a pie, and celebrate Cherry Pie day.
I got this idea one day that I was going to make a cherry cobbler and use donuts for the crust. Yes, that’s right—donuts. I had several leftover Krispy Kreme donuts (hard to believe) that needed a new purpose, so I decided that cutting the donuts lengthwise and placing them on top of cherry pie filling would be perfect. I prepared my filing and put it in a casserole dish, covered with sliced donuts, and baked at 350° until bubbly, approximately 20 minutes. The donuts had crusted and crowned that cobbler perfectly.
I am sharing a recipe with you today from Taste of the South magazine: Fresh Cherry-Almond Cobbler, one of my favorites. Enjoy today!
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
- 1⁄4 cup ground roasted almonds
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1⁄3 cup ice water
- 2 1⁄2 pounds fresh or frozen cherries, stemmed and pitted
- 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, 1⁄4 cup sugar, almonds, and salt. Add butter, pulsing until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, approximately
- 20 seconds. With processor running, gradually add 1⁄3 cup ice water until a dough forms. (Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.)
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 2 equal disks. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, approximately 1 hour.
- In a large saucepan, combine cherries and 1⁄2 cup sugar over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Add cornstarch, lemon juice, extract, and salt, stirring to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk of dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing into bottom and up sides. Spoon filling into prepared piecrust.
- Roll remaining dough 1⁄8-inch thick. Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut dough into 1-inch-wide strips, or strips of varying widths, if desired. Arrange strips over filling in a lattice design. Trim excess crust to extend 1⁄2 inch beyond edges of pie plate. Fold edges over, and crimp as desired. Brush crust with egg; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. (Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary.) Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Share with me your favorite cherry pie recipe or memory of a great cherry pie!
