Sure, pitting fresh cherries and rolling out homemade pie crust for this classic sour cherry pie recipe from Gourmet magazine requires more effort than a trip to the bakery, but the juicy, buttery results are so worth it. You’ll use a combination of cornstarch and tapioca to thicken the juices here—the combination creates a perfectly set, gooey (not gloppy) cherry pie filling that blows canned versions out of the water. The filling also gets a dose of vanilla and cinnamon for nuanced flavor, but here you can play around: Add ¼ tsp. almond extract, orange flower water, cardamom, or allspice to give your homemade cherry pie an extra nudge.
It’s critical to use sour cherries (also called tart cherries) here, but if you’re baking outside of sour cherry season, or don’t own a cherry pitter, you can use frozen cherries. Steer clear of sweet cherries, canned cherries, or premade cherry pie filling, which can lead to soggy, saccharine fruit pies.
Our go-to pie crust recipe is an all-purpose, all-butter variation. This one uses a little shortening and a technique called fraisage (smearing portions of dough against the work surface) for an extra-tender, extra-flaky crust. Instead of egg wash, the top of the pie is glossed with whole milk for a matte appearance. Dusted with a little granulated sugar, the golden brown crust glistens around the bubbling red filling.
Serve slices warm or at room temperature, and don’t forget to add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe notes
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