Easy Butter Crust Cherry Pie
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Fruit Pie, Cherry Pie
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 9 inch pie
 
Butter flaky crust with the perfect consistency filling. This pie is easy to make even if you're just a beginner. Tastes best after it's cooled down. **Dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days prior to assembling the pie**
Ingredients
For the Crust:
  • 2½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • ¼ cup cold water (For adding in)
For the Cherry Filling:
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 heaping Tbsp cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water
  • 4 cups whole pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract - optional
  • 2 Tbsp Butter (used to dot the pie before baking)
  • 3 Tbsp milk - for brushing
Instructions
Prepare the crust:
  1. In a stand mixer bowl, place the flour, salt, sugar and cubed butter and mix on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. You will notice that the mix now resembles coarse sand.
  2. Start adding cold water from your ¼ cup, one tablespoon after the other. Add a tablespoon and keep mixing to see how the consistency changes. You want to reach the point where the mix becomes a dough that is disconnecting from the bowl sides and is not watery or dry or sticky (kind of like playdough).
  3. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead a bit to create a ball.
  4. Divide into 2 parts and place them in a bag (or plastic wrap) in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling:
  1. Place the cherries with sugar in a medium saucepan/pot along with the vanilla/almond extract over medium heat and stir every 2 minutes to avoid burning.
  2. After about 10 minutes you will notice that the cherry mix is liquid and the sugar has dissolved.
  3. Take the ¼ cup water and add the 2 Tbsp cornstarch into it and quickly stir until it dissolves.
  4. Slowly pour the mix into the cherries while stirring. The cherry mix will solidify and become jam-like in consistency. that's when you remove the cherries from the heat.
  5. Let the cherries cool to room temperature (I usually pour the mix onto a large flat plate which helps it cool faster).
Assembling the pie:
  1. Preheat oven to 200C/ 400F
  2. Butter and flour the pie dish.
  3. Take out the dough from the fridge and sprinkle flour on your surface.
  4. Place the first dough ball on the floured surface and sprinkle some flour on top and start rolling using a rolling pin until the rolled circle size exceeds the pie dish size by about 2-3 inches in diameter (about 12 inches total).
  5. Transfer the rolled dough onto the pie dish and gently press on middle and sides to make sure it is covering everything. You will have overhangs on the sides which is fine.
  6. Place the cherry filling on the crust in the pie dish.
  7. Roll out the second half of the dough the same way. Create opening or using a small cookie cutter create shapes on the top part of the crust.
  8. Transfer top crust onto the cherry filling.
  9. Using very sharp knife or kitchen scissors, trim the overhangs, leaving enough on the edges to tighten the 2 crusts together to avoid the filling from spilling during baking.
  10. Place tiny pieces of butter randomly on the pie and brush with milk.
  11. Bake on the lower third of the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes lower oven temperature to 180C/ 375F and bake for additional 30-35 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crusts look golden brown.
  12. Let cool down completely before eating.
Recipe by Maya`s Kitchen at https://www.mayaskitchen.info/2012/06/12/easy-butter-crust-cherry-pie/