Okay, so I’ve been craving cherry pie lately, like, really craving it. And not just any cherry pie, but one with those dried cherries that have that intense, chewy sweetness. So, I decided, forget the store-bought stuff, I’m making my own! I looked at a bunch of recipes online, but then I just kinda winged it, combining bits and pieces of what sounded good. Here’s how it all went down:
Getting Started (aka The Mess Begins)
First, I gathered all my ingredients. I already had some flour, sugar, butter – the usual baking suspects. The star of the show, of course, was the dried cherries. I picked up a big bag of them, the plump, dark red kind. Oh, and I also grabbed some fresh cherries, ’cause why not add a little extra cherry goodness, right?
The Cherry Prep
- I started by pitting the fresh cherries. This is always the most tedious part, isn’t it? Cherry juice everywhere!
- Then, I took the dried cherries and soaked them in some warm water for about 30 minutes. I figured this would plump them up a bit and make them extra juicy. I added a splash of vanilla extract to the water, just for a little extra somethin’-somethin’.
- While the cherries were soaking, I got to work on the pie crust.
Crust Time
I made a basic pie crust from scratch. I use four,sugar,salt and very cold water. After that, I added cold butter, and used my hands mixed well.
I am not a big fan of very fancy pie crust. I just mixed it all together, rolled it out, and fit it into my pie dish. Nothing fancy, just good ol’ homemade crust.
The Filling Frenzy
- Once the cherries were nice and plump, I drained them and mixed them with the pitted fresh cherries.
- I tossed in some sugar, a little bit of cornstarch (to thicken things up), and a pinch of salt. I also added a squeeze of lemon juice, because I like a little tartness with my sweet.
- I stirred everything together until it looked like a beautiful, glorious, cherry mess.
Putting It All Together
I poured the cherry filling into the pie crust. Then, I rolled out the second crust and placed it on top. I crimped the edges with a fork, just to make it look somewhat presentable (I’m no pie artist!). I cut a few slits in the top crust to let the steam escape.
Finally I made some decorating for my pie crust with remainder.
I brushed the top with a little melted butter and sprinkled it with some coarse sugar, because, well, more is more, right?
Bake and Enjoy
I popped the pie into the oven. Then I baked it for 40 minutes. The whole house smelled amazing – like warm cherries and buttery crust. After it cooled down a bit (the hardest part!), I sliced myself a big piece. It was so good! The dried cherries were perfectly chewy and sweet, and the fresh cherries added a nice burst of flavor. The crust was flaky and buttery. Success!
I enjoyed with my family. They loved it!
