Recipe courtesy of Northwest Cherries
Servings: 8 Slices
Prep Time: 1-2 Hours
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Cooling Time: 3-4 Hours
Ingredients
2 pie crusts, prepared
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cherry juice, reserved from pitting fresh cherries or from rinsing/rehydrating preserved cherries
7 cups Northwest cherries, pitted
3/4-1 cup sugar*
1 Tbsp almond extract or bourbon-vanilla bean infusion
*sugar may be substituted for 3/4 – 1 cup coconut sugar for low-glycemic index
Instructions:
Using a fork, whisk together the cherry water and cornstarch in a small bowl, then set aside.
Stem and pit the cherries if not already done.
Put 5 cups of cherries into a mixing bowl and refrigerate. Blend the remaining 2 cups into a puree.
Using a heavy-bottomed pan, gently heat the puree and sugar over low heat until the volume has reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. Constantly stir to prevent burning.
Once reduced, remove from the heat and stir in the cornstarch/cherry water mix until it regains translucency. Gently and briefly reheat if needed. Stir in the extract and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Pour the cooled mixture over the whole cherries, gently stirring to incorporate. Pour the final cherry mixture into a 9-inch or 10-inch prepared pie crust, and top with a second crust. Pinch, crimp and vent the top crust. Brush with a beaten egg if so desired and sprinkle lightly with coconut sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is steadily bubbling. Aluminum foil may be used around the crust edges to prevent browning during the second half of the bake. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack, and most importantly, allow the pie to cool completely before serving (3-4 hours).
