Made with whole fresh cherries and all-butter crust this homemade Cherry Pie is a delicious dessert to enjoy in summer time. 

The cherry season was beautiful, and we enjoyed sweet cherries for more than a month. Of course, my favorite way to use cherries is to eat them fresh, directly from the tree. Still, as this year's produce was abundant, I was craving American-style cherry pie. For this recipe, I used my go-to all-butter crust recipe, which is simple, with just a few essential ingredients, and fool-proof. The result is a super flaky, buttery crust that will make your pie delicious and perfect.

HOW TO MAKE A PERFECT PIE CRUST

This dough pie recipe is straightforward and requires five ingredients: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, butter, and water. But, as simple as the ingredients are, here are some tips on what to do ( and not to do :)) to have a perfectly flakey crust every time you bake.

• Butter should be very cold. Mixing the dough with your hands, especially in summer, will warm up the mixture, so you want to ensure that the butter doesn't melt. Cold butter is what makes the pie crust flakey.
 
• Water should be cold as well. Start adding water a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture starts to come together. You may not need all the water, and the number of tablespoons can also depend on the type of butter and flour.
 
• Don't knead the dough! You want to mix the ingredients just enough to create a ball from the dough. Kneading the dough will make the dough tough.
 
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface and turn it clockwise for each roll. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface and help you roll out evenly.

• Let the dough chill in the fridge for 40 minutes to 1 hour before rolling it out. This will cool the butter again and prevent the dough from breaking apart.
 
• Once you have filled the pie and decorated it, put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes (use egg-wash only before baking). This will allow the top to cool, and decorations will keep their shape during the baking.
 
• The dough can be kept in the fridge for 2 days, or you can freeze it in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to come to room temperature when you are ready to roll it out into a pie crust.

how to make homemade cherry filling

When it comes to cherry filling, I used whole, pitted fresh cherries that were not too sweet, but you can also use sour cherries or regular sweet cherries for this recipe. The filling is easy to adjust, and you can add a few more tablespoons of sugar if needed, depending on how sweet you want your cherry filling to be. This homemade cherry filling is sweet and tangy on point, comes together in no time, and can be made in advance. A few tips on how to make a perfect filling every time:

• You may use your favorite cherry variety for the cherry pie filling – or mix. But if you decide to use all sour cherries, add an extra 4 tbsp of sugar to the filling. You can also use frozen cherries for the recipe. 

• Because fruit-based pies tend to bake up runny, I pre-cook the filling before adding it to the pie. This step ensures a sliceable pie every time. Just be sure to cool the filling completely before adding it to the crust.

• Keep a close eye on the cherry pie filling after it comes to a boil. After it reaches the boiling point, it begins to thicken fast. So be sure to lower the heat right away and cook it just until it starts thickening. You want it thick but still juicy. 

HOMEMADE CHERRY PIE
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8 

For the crust

320g all-purpose flour

2 tbsp granulated sugar

pinch of salt

160g very cold butter

5-8 tbsp ice-cold water

FOR THE filling

350g cherries, washed and pitted

60ml water

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp lemon juice

100-120g white sugar (adjusted accordingly to sweetness of cherries)

zest from 1 lemon

1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp milk for brushing

2 tbsp brown sugar for dusting 

METHOD

Prepare the crust:

In a bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter, and using your hands or pastry cutter, incorporate the butter into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Start adding water, a tablespoon at a time, and gently stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sometimes you will need less or more water than indicated, depending on the flour and butter used. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps, it's not too sticky and can be formed in a bowl.

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface, and using floured hands, form a ball. Put the dough in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 40 minutes to 1 hour. You can prepare the dough even the day before.

Prepare the cherry filling:

Wash and clean cherries. You need pitted whole or halved cherries. Whisk together the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch. Set aside. In a large saucepan, add the cherries and the sugar. Pour the cornstarch mixture over top and turn on the heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the mixture thickens but it's still juicy. It is important that you stir the mixture at regular intervals to prevent the sauce from burning. Leave to cool completely before filling out the pie. 

Assembling and baking:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F).  

Take out the chilled dough and transfer it to a floured surface. Gently press the dough with your rolling pin, starting from the center, as the dough is very firm. Turn the dough with your hands clockwise at each roll so that dough doesn't stick to the surface. Roll out the dough in a large circle ( 3-5 mm thick), then helping yourself with a rolling pin, transfer the dough to the baking pan. Trim any extra dough and save it for decoration. Fold in the edges and press them with your fingers to make a fluted edge. Pour the cherry filling. Roll out the rest of the dough for decoration. With a knife, create stripes ( I used a mixture of thin and thick stripes). Place the dough strips over the filling in a lattice pattern. Seal the edges with some water, and decorate the borders with cut-out leaves. Put the pie in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Beat the egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk. When the pie is chilled, brush it with egg mixture and sprinkle with 2 tbsp brown sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius (350 F) or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving. This will help the filling set, making it easier to cut the pie. Serve warm or cold with ice cream or whipped cream.