All About Cherry Pie Inside and Out

[Dailey]

i made a homemade cherry pie last week but it turned out awful. the filling was gummy and unappetizing. i used tapioca in it.

anyways, i would like to try to make it again, does anyone have a foolproof recipe? thanks!

[K8memphis]

I just use canned pie filling but I love it with almond in it.

Bu-ut, I do buy the premium stuff

[Gleep]

I just made a couple cherry pies this morning. We have a sour cherry tree in our back yard so my friends and family always look forward to this time of year. I love Nick Malgieri's "Once a Year Cherry Pie" recipe. It's in his book "How to Bake" or you can find it here.

[ludja]

I'll admit up front that I haven't yet made a cherry pie--but it's on my list of things to try so I'm interested in people's comments and experiences.

Could you shed a little more light Dailey on how you made the filling that didnt' turn out well?

type of cherries

recipe for filling

lattice crust?

For comparision, here's the filling suggested in Chez Panisse Fruits:

2 1/2 lbs fresh sour cherries, pitted (~ 5 cups)

1 cup sugar

3 Tbs quick-cooking tapioca

1 tsp kirsch

The ingredients are tossed together and allowed to sit for ~ 30 min b/4 putting in the pie and baking. (Reason given is to "plump the tapioca" and to dissolve the sugar. (Can use Bing cherries, but in that case cut back the sugar by half).

The recipe also specifically mentions that a lattice type crust is preferred, "allowing the filling to get nice and syrupy".

It sounds like a good recipe to me, for some reason I like the idea that the filling is not pre-cooked. It seems like the resultant filling would be less pasty or gooey... Thanks for the link and rec in your post Gleep---it uses another approach. Namely, precooked and with cornstarch as a thickner.

How does your recipe compare, Dailey?

Edited June 23, 2005 by ludja (log)

[Ladybug]

I've been wondering if Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe for blueberry pie would work for sweet cherries - basically, you cook half the blueberries with sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch, then fold in the other half (fresh, uncooked) and pour into a prebaked pie crust. I've made the blueberry pie many times and it's always wonderful - the best I've ever had - and trying a cherry version is towards the top of my list.

[mkfradin]

We have a kick ass cherry pie that is from the Pie and Pastry Bible with a little tweaking (a little more sugar and a little more thickener so it doesn't run). Here's the recipe:

14 oz. cream cheese pie dough

7 oz. sugar

1 oz. cornstarch

pinch salt

1 ¼# frozen tart cherries

¼ tsp. almond extract

Roll out dough to 2 and line pan. Save scraps for lattice top.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, cherries, and almond. Stir thoroughly so mixture coats cherries evenly. Cherries should still be frozen.

Place filling into pie shell. Press down.

Roll pie dough scraps to 2 and make lattice top for pie. Freeze.

To bake, preheat oven and baking sheet at 400 for 20 min. Cover frozen pie with foil. Remove heated sheet from oven, cover with parchment, and place pie on baking sheet. Bake pie at 400 for 20 min. Remove and reserve foil, return pie to oven, and lower heat to 375. Bake 30 min.

To translate for home bakers:

Pie dough should be rolled to about 1/4-1/8" thick. We use a convection oven, so if you have a conventional oven, raise your temperature 25 degrees. And we make pies in advance and bake them off frozen. If you want to bake your pie after assembling, omit the first baking of the pie for 20 min. covered.

And make sure you keep the pie in the oven till the juices in the MIDDLE bubble. if you remove it when the juice around the edge is bubbling, the middle won't be thick and it will run.

[kitwilliams]

The jarred Tart Montmorency Cherries from Trader Joe's make fabulous pies. Drain them well. I use 1 cup sugar to nearly 1/4 cup of flour. Sprinkle half in the bottom pie shell, add drained cherries, sprinkle 1/4 tsp. almond extract over cherries, then top with remaining sugar/flour, then top crust.

[Dailey]

thanks everyone for the suggestions and recipes!

ludja, i'm afraid i threw the recipe away, so i can't tell you exactly what was in it. i did used frozen sour cherries, and i think 3-4 TB of tapioca, a bit of almond extract and sugar. like i said before, it was bad, pratically rubbery! lastly, i didn't do a lattice crust, thought it would be too much trouble!

[snowangel]

I've been wondering if Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe for blueberry pie would work for sweet cherries - basically, you cook half the blueberries with sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch, then fold in the other half (fresh, uncooked) and pour into a prebaked pie crust.  I've made the blueberry pie many times and it's always wonderful - the best I've ever had - and trying a cherry version is towards the top of my list.

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Please note that I have included the version of this Blueberry Pie that my Grandmother and I modified from one in the Farm Journal Cookbook (around long before Rose's books ever appeared!).

Same deal with the Raspberry Pie that my grandmother and I also modified from Farm Journal.

What's especially nice about these pies is the crunch of the fresh fruit and the sweet of the thickened and sweetened fruit "juice."

And, a casual reminder that RecipeGullet is ready and waiting for any recipes you have that are within the guidelines!

[Wendy DeBord]

I've been wondering if Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe for blueberry pie would work for sweet cherries -

←

Blueberrys have a natural thickener in them so they need less starch to help them set then other fruits. I wouldn't use that recipe interchangably.

[jsolomon]

Dailey, what size pie did you try to make? If I recall correctly, the 3 TBSP is for a nine-inch pie. Also, did you reserve the juice from the cherries when they thawed, or did you put it in with the pie?

Unfortunately, I don't do much pie-baking, so I can't be a ton of help. Something about rolling pastry dough brings out the sailor in me.

[achevres]

This Cherry-Raspberry Pie is really, really good. It uses canned sour cherries and frozen raspberries and cornstarch as a thickener. I use cherries that come in a jar. I know you were just asking about plain cherry filling, but I couldn't resist linking this recipe. When people try it for the first time, you can see their faces changing with pleasure. In the recipe you can see how the cornstarch and the cherry liquid are used. There's no gummy or off taste at all.

Also, I use RL Berenbaum's recipe for flaky pie crust, the one with butter and cream cheese.

[jgarner53]

I use the technique outlined in achevres' Cherry-Raspberry pie (cook some of the juice with cornstarch until it thickens) in my cherry pie, and I agree that Trader Joe's Sour Montmorency Cherries are outstanding. The recipe I actually follow is from my ancient Better Homes & Gardens cookbook - the first cookbook I got when I went out on my own. Basic. Simple. Good.

[eje]

I've made this common internet recipe for Double Cherry Pie many times using frozen Cascadian Farms Cherries and never had any difficulties. I like tarter pies, so usually reduce the amount of sugar to 3/4 cup, and often substitute some or all dried cranberries instead of dried cherries. Very tasty.

[achevres]

...and I agree that Trader Joe's Sour Montmorency Cherries are outstanding.

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Thanks for the tip, I've been buying quality cherries at the supermarket, but I'm sure they are a lot cheaper at Trader Joe's.

And eje, the double cherry pie sounds really good too. I do already buy Trader Joe's dried Montmorency cherries and can recommend them.

[sugarbuzz]

Baking At Home with the CIA has a good cherry pie recipe using fresh cherries..however instead of using 1 cup of cherry juice I use a cabernet reduction. I simply take 2c. cabernet & add simple syrup to taste and reduce it to 1 cup. I find it gives the pie a real intense taste to it.

I'd be glad to IM the recipe to anyone that wants it.

[jsolomon]

Baking At Home with the CIA has a good cherry pie recipe using fresh cherries..however instead of using 1 cup of cherry juice I use a cabernet reduction. I simply take 2c. cabernet & add simple syrup to taste and reduce it to 1 cup. I find it gives the pie a real intense taste to it.

I'd be glad to IM the recipe to anyone that wants it.

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I'm not spectacularly interested in the CIA recipe, but I am curious if you've tried other wines than cab for that.

[sugarbuzz]

Actually I've only used the cab for the cherry pie..mostly because of the cherry undertones of a cabernet.

[trillium]

I always had trouble with my sour cherry pies being too runny or too rubbery until I started using a friend's recipe. She said it was from Martha Stewart but I can't find it on the website. I remember that it is 4 cups of pitted sour cherries, 1/2 cup of juice and a combination of both tapioca and flour for thickener. I really like how it turns out-- not too runny, but not gummy at all, still juicy. If you like, I'll look up the amounts at home and post them.

regards,

trillium

[LEdlund]

I always had trouble with my sour cherry pies being too runny or too rubbery until I started using a friend's recipe.  She said it was from Martha Stewart but I can't find it on the website.  I remember that it is 4 cups of pitted sour cherries, 1/2 cup of juice and a combination of both tapioca and flour for thickener.  I really like how it turns out-- not too runny, but not gummy at all, still juicy.  If you like, I'll look up the amounts at home and post them.

regards,

trillium

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Yes, please. I'm making a cherry pie this weekend and have been following this thread for tips and techniques.

[trillium]

I'm sorry I didn't get back here soon enough but I looked it up and here it is:

4 c pitted sour cherries, drained

1/2 c juice from draining

1 c sugar

2.5 T tapioca

1 T flour

juice and zest of half a lemon

I think she also says to dot the surface with butter but I never do that. I also cut down on the sugar, depending on how sweet the cherries are. I use the crust from Baking with Julia and do it as a lattice. I put the pies over a rack that has a baking sheet that has a silpat on it in case of spills. I don't take them out until the middle is bubbling. This always turns out just right in terms of thickness/runniness.

I'm not sure we'll even get a pie this year, all the farmers I talk to say that they won't have any. The weather was pretty hard on fruits this year, I think even the apple crop will be way off.

regards,

trillium

[etalanian]

The only way to get a great, gooey, clear, well-cooked cherry pie filling is to pre-cook the juices and part of the cherries. Same with any of the berries. It's more than worth the effort. The flavor of the cherries will be strong and fresh-tasting, with a beautiful rich, red color..

Eileen

[JayBassin]

Make a small amount of ganache with 2 oz bittersweet chocolate (I like Calibaut) and 1.5 oz heavy cream. Spread it on the bottom of a partly blind-baked crust (cooled) prior to adding the cherries, then top with almond streusel (or marzipan strips) and bake until done.

[torakris]

I'm sorry I didn't get back here soon enough but I looked it up and here it is:

4 c pitted sour cherries, drained

1/2 c juice from draining

1 c sugar

2.5 T tapioca

1 T flour

juice and zest of half a lemon

I think she also says to dot the surface with butter but I never do that.  I also cut down on the sugar, depending on how sweet the cherries are.  I use the crust from Baking with Julia and do it as a lattice.  I put the pies over a rack that has a baking sheet that has a silpat on it in case of spills.  I don't take them out until the middle is bubbling.  This always turns out just right in terms of thickness/runniness. 

I'm not sure we'll even get a pie this year, all the farmers I talk to say that they won't have any.  The weather was pretty hard on fruits this year, I think even the apple crop will be way off.

regards,

trillium

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A friend of mine wants me to teach her how to make a cherry pie, unfortunately I have never made one before and the only cherries we have access to are jarred sour cherries. This recipe looks good but I don't have tapioca, is there anything else I could use. Also are the filling ingedients just mixed together and then added to the pie crust.

Final question, what is the best topping for a cherry pie, lattice top? second crust?

[jgarner53]

You could use cornstarch instead of tapioca. I cook some of the cherry juice with cornstarch on the stove until it boils and thickens before putting it in the shell.

I love a lattice top to a cherry pie - the red cherries are so pretty! If you aren't confident enough about weaving the strips, you can also just place them. If you alternate - one strip this way, one strip at 90 degrees, etc., you'll get an interesting weave that way.