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Ingredients
- Pie Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) buttermilk, cold
- 1-2 tablespoons vodka or water, cold
- Pie:
- 1 double pie crust recipe
- 3 lbs (6 cups, 1.3 kg) cherries, pitted and halved
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (28 grams) cornstarch
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg + 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
Preparation
Step 1
Pie Crust Instructions:
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add the cubed butter and toss to coat. Dump the mixture out onto a clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll the butter into thin sheets, combining it with the flour. Use a bench scraper to scrape the rolling pin and to bring the mixture back into a pile as necessary. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated into the flour. Mixture will be very flaky. Return mixture to the bowl and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill the butter.
Remove from freezer and add the buttermilk. Use a spoon and then your hands to stir the mixture until it comes together into a ball. If mixture is too dry, add the water or vodka a tablespoon at a time. Divide the dough in two and flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
When ready to roll out, let the dough rest at room temperature for five minutes. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rough 13 inch circle. Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer dough to pie dish. Fill pie with desired filling. Repeat with the second disk of dough. Cut dough and make a lattice over the filling, or leave the circle intact and cover the filling completely, cutting a few vents with a sharp knife.
Fold the edges of the top and bottom crusts together and use your index fingers and thumb to pinch into a pattern. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired.
Cherry Pie Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a floured surface, roll one disk of pie dough out into a rough 13 inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish and trim overhang to 1 inch.
In a large bowl toss together the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice and almond extract. Dump into the prepared bottom crust.
Roll the second disk of dough out into a rough 10 inch circle. If desired, cut into 1-inch strips and lay in a lattice pattern on top of the pie. Alternately, transfer the circle of dough to the top of the pie and trim overhang to 1 inch. Pinch to seal the two crusts together and fold under into the pie crust. Crimp edges as desired. If not using lattice, cut 1-inch slits in the dough for vents for steam.
Place on a sheet pan and bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Cover with foil if crust browns too quickly. Let cool completely to room temperature, which should take a few hours. Serve at room temperature or reheat to serve warm, if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge.