I am so honored to be able to write on this auspicious occasion of celebrating National Cherry Day this past Friday, July 17--I mean, who doesn’t love cherry pie? It was the very first pie my mom taught me to make as a young girl.
If you know me at all, you probably have this vision of my 3 daughters and I spending countless hours baking together when they were younger. Sadly, that was not the case. I was more in the “I’ll do it myself, make less mess, and finish more quickly” camp. I think the Lord allowed me to redeem myself later in the girls’ lives and we spent plenty of hours baking together at our family’s dessert cafe! I also am enjoying this season of retirement, making baking memories with my 8 precious grandchildren.
While I am always a fan of fresh fruit and produce, and occasionally frozen fruit (when fresh is out of season), my favorite cherry pie is made with tart and pitted CANNED cherries. Please do not mistake this for cherry pie FILLING. I prefer tart myself, but if you like sweeter cherries, you may use frozen (and they can be found in some stores with either tart or dark sweet cherries).
CHERRY PIE RECIPE
2 cans red tart cherries (I like Oregon brand)
3/4-1 cup sugar (to taste) - if using sweet cherries, use the lesser amount
3 TBL cornstarch
1/4 tsp almond extract
Dash of cinnamon
2 TBL butter
Double pie crust (store bought or my favorite recipe is the Never Fail Pie Crust 1 at www.allrecipes.com)
DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, and cornstarch. Drain the liquid from ONE of the cans of cherries and stir into the sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat, gently fold in both cans of well-drained cherries and add almond extract, cinnamon and butter. Pour into a 9 inch pie plate lined with crust. For the top crust, I like to make a lattice crust where you weave strips in a basket weave on top but if using a full crust, vent the top with a few slits. Brush the top with beaten egg (or cream), then sprinkle sugar on top. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
James 1:17a says “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights.” I am in a lovely season of thankfulness for my many gifts…whether it is 41 years of marriage to the most wonderful godly man, enjoying watching our three daughters grow in deeper love with their husbands AND children while bringing them up in homes that honor the Lord, having more time to spend with my amazing parents, more time to spend with the most wonderful friends a person could have, or something as simple as a warm cherry pie.
I thank the Lord for blessing me with so much more than I deserve. Enjoy!
Meet the Author!
Peggy Diefenderfer is blissfully married to Bob, recently retired from her family-owned dessert cafe and happily “Nama” to 8 wonderful grandchildren. Her family has been at CRBC for almost 38 years.