The BEST Homemade Cherry Pie

Ingredients

• 1 recipe double pie crust for 9 inch pie dish
• 1 egg (for the egg wash)
• 1600 g pitted sweet cherries (approximately 10 cups)
• 200 g sugar (1 cup)
• 45 g cornstarch (4 ½ tbsp (packed))
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 30 ml lemon juice (2 tbsp)
• 80 mL red wine (⅓ cup)
• 1000 g pitted sweet cherries (approximately 6 cups)
• 2 oranges (zest only)
• 35 g cornstarch (3 ½ tbsp (packed))
• 150 g sugar (¾ cup)
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 30 mL lemon juice (2 tbsp)

Steps

1. 1

   Follow my detailed all butter pie crust recipe. This recipe makes 2 pie crusts that will be used as the bottom and top crusts for this pie.

2. 2

   Once the dough is divided into two, wrap and chill (as explained in the pie crust recipe). You can start making the cherry pie filling at this point, while the dough is chilling.

3. 3

   Roll out 1 portion of chilled pie crust to fit the bottom of the pie plate. The pie crust should be about 3 mm in thickness.

4. 4

   Line a 9 - 9.5 inch deep pie pan with the pie crust, being careful not to stretch the dough to fit the pan. Instead, carefully lift and place the crust inside the pan to fit.

5. 5

   Trim the excess pie crust while leaving a ½ in overhang. Do not fold the overhang under, as this is a double crusted pie.

6. 6

   Chill the pie crust for about 30 minutes. The cherry pie filling should be ready after the pie crust has been chilled.

7. 7

   Follow my recipe for homemade cherry pie filling to make the precooked cherry filling. Due to a portion of cherries being cooked down to form a jam-like base, along with wine, this filling has a more concentrated, complex flavor profile.

8. 8

   This recipe can be made while the pie is chilling in the fridge, or the day before.

9. 9

   Allow the pie filling to cool down to room temperature, or let it chill in the fridge overnight.

10. 10

    This pie filling is easier to make. It makes a very thick, sweet pie filling with lovely orange flavor notes. As the filling will be thickened in the oven, I don’t recommend adding red wine to the filling, since this can create too much liquid.

11. 11

    Pit the sweet cherries and place them in a large bowl.

12. 12

    Whisk the salt, sugar, and cornstarch together in a separate bowl. Add this to the cherries.

13. 13

    Next, add the orange zest and lemon juice and mix well to combine.

14. 14

    The pie filling is now ready to be added to the pie crust.

15. 15

    Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C. Place a baking tray in the bottom third oven rack in your oven. The baking tray must be preheated for a minimum of 30 minutes. This is important to achieve a flaky pie crust.

16. 16

    Take the second portion of pie dough from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust to about a 3 - 5 mm thickness.

17. 17

    Once the pie crust has been rolled out, cover it and place it in the fridge while you get the pie ready.

18. 18

    Take the chilled bottom pie crust from the fridge.

19. 19

    Fill the crust with the cherry pie filling.

20. 20

    Top the pie with the second rolled out pie crust. You can either cut the pie crust into strips to create a lattice topping, or a solid pie crust (with vents), or cut out shapes and top the filling with abstract shapes as a decoration (see pictures in the post for reference).

21. 21

    Press down on the edges of the pie crust with a fork to seal the top crust to the bottom crust. You can also use a little water to help the crusts stick together.

22. 22

    Trim the excess of the top crust to match the bottom. Now, roll or fold the excess crust under to create a thick pie edge and to properly seal the edges.

23. 23

    Place the pie in the fridge for about 30 - 60 minutes for the pie crust to become firm again.

24. 24

    Whisk an egg for the egg wash. Brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash with a pastry brush. This will create a lovely golden sheen when baked.

25. 25

    OPTIONAL - Sprinkle raw sugar on top.

26. 26

    If you topped your cherry pie with a solid pie crust, use a knife to cut a few vents, to allow excess air and moisture to escape.

27. 27

    Place the pie pan on top of the preheated pizza stone or baking tray, and close the oven door.

28. 28

    Lower the heat to 350°F / 180°C, and bake the pie for 45 - 60 minutes. If the pie crust is at risk of burning at any point, cover the top with aluminum foil.

29. 29

    Once baked, remove the pie from the oven and let it cool down and rest until the pie is at room temperature.

30. 30

    As the filling cools down, it will set better. If the pie is warm, the filling will be more liquidy.

31. 31

    Cut the pie into slices and serve.