Paula’s Cherry Pie

With a Homemade Pie Crust!

Ingredients: 

2 Cups Flour 

¼ Cup Lard 

¼ Cup Butter 

2 Tablespoons Sugar 

¼ Teaspoon Salt 

¼ Cup Ice Water 

5 Pounds Frozen Cherries Thawed + Their Juice! 

Cherry Juice from 5 Pounds of Thawed Frozen Cherries 

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 

¼ Teaspoon Almond Extract 

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice 

⅓ Cup Cornstarch 

¾ Cup Sugar  

¼ Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream  

1 Egg 

Instructions:  

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and pour Frozen Cherries in a strainer to thaw and drain overtop a bowl. Drain these very well so your filling is not runny!

Add your Flour, Sugar, and Salt into a food processor. Mix until combined.

Cut your Lard and Butter into pieces and add.

Once combined, slowly add in your Ice Water, a tablespoon at a time, until your Pie Crust comes together. Careful not to overwork your Dough!

Add to a floured surface and knead until your mixture is no longer crumbly.

Press the Dough into two disks and place in the fridge in Saran Wrap to chill while we get the filling ready.

In a saucepan on medium heat, add your Cherry Juice from your Thawed Frozen Cherries, Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract, Lemon Juice, Corn Starch, and Sugar. Cook this until it becomes clear, the Sugar is dissolved, and it comes to a boil. Set aside to cool.

Grab the Dough from the fridge and roll it out until you’ve got about an inch of evenly flattened Dough. Using an offset spatula, get it free from your surface, and coil the Dough onto your rolling pin.

Using a pie dish, roll out the rolling pin so the Dough lies across it. Work the Dough into the edges of the dish, and press the top edges firmly into the set. Cut off any excess.

Roll out the other disk of chilled Dough on your floured surface. Once evenly thinned, press your star cutouts into the center of the flattened disk. Keep the stars!

Add your drained Cherries into your cooled Cherry Compote, then add to the middle of your Pie Crust.

Coil the second disk onto your rolling pin and lay your star-cut top over your Pie! Adjust as needed.

In a small dish, add your Heavy Whipping Cream and Egg, then whisk to combine. Brush this onto the top of your Pie and add the extra stars on the top of the top Crust. Brush those as well with your Egg Mixture.

Cut off the remaining excess from the second Pie Crust and crimp the edges using your knuckle and two fingers. Sprinkle Sanding Sugar over the top.

Place in your oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes to begin!

After these 30 minutes, cover in tin foil, lower the heat to 350 degrees, and leave for another 20-25 minutes or until golden, depending on your oven.

Let cool for 15-25 minutes. Cut and serve!

Enjoy :).