Sour Cherry Pie
With their complex, tart flavor, sour cherries make the best pie filling in the world.
Source:
Saveur
FOR THE PASTRY:
2 cups plus 3 tbsp. pastry flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
9 tbsp. cold cream cheese
12 tbsp. unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar
FOR THE FILLING:
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
7 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
Pinch salt
1 1/2 lbs. fresh sour cherries,
stemmed and pitted (4-5 cups)
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1. For the pastry: Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Use your fingers to work cream cheese into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Use 2 table knives to work in butter until mixture is flecked with pea-size pieces of butter. Sprinkle in vinegar and 2 tbsp. ice water, tossing lightly with a rubber spatula, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly knead dough until smooth. Divide dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, flatten each into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. For the filling: Stir sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl, then stir in cherries and almond extract. Allow cherries to macerate for at least 10 minutes and up to 3 hours.
3. Put a baking sheet on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 425°. Roll larger disk of dough out on a lightly floured surface into an 11" round, then ease into a 9" pie pan. Stir filling, then transfer to pastry. Roll remaining dough out into a 10" round and cut into six 1 1/4"-wide strips. Weave strips on top of filing in a lattice pattern and fold edges under. Brush strips with cream and sprinkle sugar. Set pie on baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown, 40-50 minutes. Let pie cool for several hours before serving.
2 cups plus 3 tbsp. pastry flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
9 tbsp. cold cream cheese
12 tbsp. unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. sugar
FOR THE FILLING:
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
7 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
Pinch salt
1 1/2 lbs. fresh sour cherries,
stemmed and pitted (4-5 cups)
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1. For the pastry: Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Use your fingers to work cream cheese into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Use 2 table knives to work in butter until mixture is flecked with pea-size pieces of butter. Sprinkle in vinegar and 2 tbsp. ice water, tossing lightly with a rubber spatula, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly knead dough until smooth. Divide dough into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other, flatten each into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. For the filling: Stir sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl, then stir in cherries and almond extract. Allow cherries to macerate for at least 10 minutes and up to 3 hours.
3. Put a baking sheet on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 425°. Roll larger disk of dough out on a lightly floured surface into an 11" round, then ease into a 9" pie pan. Stir filling, then transfer to pastry. Roll remaining dough out into a 10" round and cut into six 1 1/4"-wide strips. Weave strips on top of filing in a lattice pattern and fold edges under. Brush strips with cream and sprinkle sugar. Set pie on baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown, 40-50 minutes. Let pie cool for several hours before serving.
This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #76
Your Comment