If you can’t get Colorado pie cherries, use two jars of Red Hills Fruit Co. tart pie cherries, they’re the best. Adapted by Kristen Browning-Blas from “The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook,” makes 1 lattice-top 9-inch pie.
Ingredients
CRUST
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small cubes and chilled
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
6-8 tablespoons ice water
FILLING
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
6 cups cherries (2 29-ounce jars or 4 14.5-ounce cans, drained)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Crust: Process flour, sugar and salt in food processor until combined. Scatter shortening over top, and process until mixture has texture of coarse sand, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, and using short pulses, process mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses.
Transfer to a bowl. Combine egg and vinegar and add to flour. Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Fold in with the blade of a rubber spatula. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 2 tablespoons more ice water if it will not come together. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Flatten 1 piece into a 4-inch disk for the bottom. Flatten the other into a 4-by-3-inch rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
Mix 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Add cherries and almond extract.
Remove dough from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and place a rimmed baking sheet in the rack. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Roll dough disk on lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer and fit dough into 9-inch Pyrex pie pan, leaving dough that overhangs the lip in place. Spread cherries in unbaked pie crust.
Roll remaining dough on lightly floured parchment or wax paper into a 10-by-13-inch rectangle. Transfer parchment and dough to a baking sheet. Cut dough into 8 1 1/4-inch-wide strips. Separate them slightly and place baking sheet in freezer 30 minutes.
Weave lattice strips and trim overhanging edges to about 1/2 inch. Press edges of bottom crust and lattice strips together, tucking underneath edge and into dish. Crimp edge. Sprinkle top with remaining sugar.
Place pie on heated baking sheet and lower oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until top crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, 30-35 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to almost room temperature so juices thicken, 1-2 hours.
