Baby Cherry Pies

By maredan

Ingredients

• For the Crust
• 2-1/2 * 2-1/2 all purpose flour
• 1/2 * 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 * 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
• 1/2 * 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 * 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 * 1/4 cup ice cold water
• For the Cherry Filling
• 6 * 6 cups pitted tart cherries
• 1-1/2 * 1-1/2 cups sugar
• * dash ground cinnamon
• 4 * 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 * 1 egg mixed with 2 tbsp (25 ml) cold water, for brushing
• * sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Directions
For the Crust

1. For crust, combine flour with salt. Cut in butter and shortening until dough is a rough crumbly texture. Add lemon juice and water and blend just until dough comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
2. For filling, bring cherries, sugar and cinnamon up to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Whisk cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water and stir into cherries. Cook until thickened, then remove from heat and cool.
3. For a regular pie, preheat oven to 400°F. Cut dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out once piece of dough into a circle large enough to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Line pan with pastry and trim edges. Spoon cherry filling into shell. Roll out remaining dough to fit on top and cut a 1-inch hole in center of pie. Brush pie with eggwash and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place pie onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue cooking until crust is a rich golden brown. Cool pie for an hour before slicing.
4. Alternately, for 12 mini pies, roll out two-thirds of dough and cut circles to line 12 regular muffin cups. Fill with cherry filling. Roll out remaining dough and cut into ½-inch strips. On a lightly floured surface, make a lattice-top pattern then, with a 2 ½-inch cookie cutter cut 12 lattice tops and with a spatula gently place each on pie filling, cinching edges gently. Brush with eggwash, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 5 minutes at 375°F, then for about 25 minutes at 350°F.