Cherry pie!

So we celebrated another birthday this past week and our oldest boy is now 16! Can time please seriously stop?! As I usually do, I asked him for his birthday dinner menu and what kind of cake he wanted this year. He loved the End of Summer menu I made a few weeks back, except he wanted just regular grilled corn and not elotes, so the menu was set but he wanted his favorite pie not cake this year. This was a huge shock as he always wants a Reese's peanut butter cake, but as he was the birthday boy he gets what he wants, so it was time to make cherry pie. I normally buy canned cherry pie filling to make cherry pies, but as this was a birthday I couldn't take the easy way out. I did some research and thought 'Hey, looks easy enough', so I went for it. I wasn't aware until after baking my pie and talking with my mom that it actually isn't quite so easy. The level of pectin and water in the fruit can be different each time and can mess with measurements, so you just have to keep an extra eye on it and adjust sugar and corn starch as needed to make sure it does what you want it to. Nonetheless, the boy said this was the best cherry pie he's ever had, so it was well worth the work. Make this the next time your family is in the mood for a cherry pie and they will be sure to love it!

What's cooking in my kitchen this week:
Cherry pie

What you'll need:
Filling
7 cups frozen mixed cherries (dark sweet and dark tart)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup corn starch

Pie crust
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced 
1/4 cup ice water

How to make it:
First make the cherry filling. Before you get going take cherries out of freezer and let them thaw for a bit. Then put them, with juice, in medium pan with sugar and corn starch. 

Cook on medium heat, stirring regularly for about 30 minutes, until liquid has gotten thick. This is where you would need to adjust sugar or corn starch. Make sure to taste to see how sweet it is. I did find that cooking only 20 minutes still left the liquid a little runny, so I cooked another 10 minutes and got it to where it needed to be and didn't need to add more corn starch. 

Set aside and cover to let cool completely. Now for the pie crusts. As fruit pies all usually have a top crust as well as a bottom crust, you will need to make this twice. In large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours up to overnight. 

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to size of pie plate. 

Place pie crust in pie plate and trim excess off of sides. Put cooled cherry filling in pie crust. 

Roll out top crust. If you want to do a lattice top, like I wanted, take pizza cutter and cut 1/2 in wide strips into dough. Place one strip at a time across pie pan, about 5 or 6. Then turn pan 90° and place one strip at a time, weaving strips together. 

If you don't want a lattice top, just put the second rolled out pie crust on top and make sure to cut a few vent holes on the top. Either way, once done pinch top and bottom dough together and trim any excess. Then pinch around the top to make finished edge.

Bake in 350° oven for 50-55 minutes, until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Let cool at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!

Did you know?
On this day in 1952, the British Minister of Food announced the end of rationing and price controls on Tea.