Cherry pie

Using cookie cutters is an easy way to make your pie look professional and pretty.

Credit: Baking It Easy

• serves

  8

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Pie crust

• 2¾ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• 3 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 255 g unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 90 ml (3 tbsp + 2 tsp) tablespoons ice water

Filling

• 900 g (2 lb) cherries, pitted
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg

Freezing time: 30 minutes in total. 

Cooling time: 3 hours.

Instructions

1. For the pastry, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, place flour, sugar and salt, then pulse to combine.
2. Add butter to the food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in up to 90 ml ice water, until the mixture comes together and begins to form a ball. Knead the dough a few times by hand if necessary.
4. Next, divide it in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling out crusts.
5. Roll out 1 ball of dough, and place into a 23 cm (9 inch) deep-dish pie pan. Crimp edges as desired. Place in the freezer to set for 15 minutes. Roll out the second ball of dough and use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Freeze these shapes before assembling on pie.
6. For the filling, mix the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extracts together.
7. Pour the cherry filling into the frozen bottom crust. Assemble the top crust, placing together your cut out shapes, and place on top. Place the whole pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
8. Heat oven to 190°C (375°F). 
9. Mix the egg with a bit of water and brush the hardened pie crust with egg wash.
10. Bake for about 80 minutes, until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling all through the pie. (Baking time may vary depending on your oven and how cold the pie has become in the freezer). Allow to fully cool before cutting, at least 3 hours.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.