SOUR CHERRY PIE
(Two versions)
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
3 cups pitted fresh red sour cherries
pastry for 2 crust 9" pie, unbaked
1-1/2 tbsp margarine/butter
Combine sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt.
Mix with cherries. Roll out pastry.
Use half to line a deep pie pan; trim.
Pour in cherry mixture and dot with margarine/butter.
Put on top crust and make 4 or 5 1" slashes in center of top with a knife.
Seal edges with water.
Bake in pre-heated hot oven 425F for 10 minutes; reduce heat to moderate 350F and continue baking for 30 minutes longer or until crust is well done.
Cool and serve.
SOUR CHERRY PIE (2)
Pastry 2 crust pie:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
5 to 6 tbsp ice water
Top crust brush coating:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water
Pastry:
1. In a large bowl, stir flour with salt. With pastry blender (or 2 knives) using a short cutting motion, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
2. Quickly sprinkle ice water, 1 tbsp at a time, over all flour mixture, tossing lightly with a fork after each addition and pushing dampened portion to side of bowl. Sprinkle only dry portion remaining. Pastry should not be sticky. Press into a ball. Preheat oven to 400F. Divide pastry in half.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 piece to an 11" circle. Fold in half, then in quarters; transfer to a 9" pie plate. Unfold and gently fit into plate; trim edges. Fill with cherry mixture as made from recipe below, mounding in center. Dot with margarine/butter.
4. Roll out remaining pastry to an 11" circle. Fold in half and make several decorative slits near center for steam vents. Place top crust on pie, trim with scissors to 1" beyond diameter of pie plate. Fold edge of crust under bottom crust; press together and use fingers to crimp decoratively. Beat egg yolk with water. Gently brush over surface of top pie crust.
5. Place pie on center rack in oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes. Pie is done when the crust is golden brown and juices from the cherries start to bubble through the steam vents. Remove pie from oven and cool for at least 1 hour on a wire rack.
Cherry filling:
1-1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
4 cups fresh pitted sour cherries
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp margarine/butter
In a large bowl, mix sugar with flour and salt.
Add cherries and almond extract to flour mixture; toss lightly to combine.
Turn into pastry-lined pie plate, as noted in 3 above.