Homemade Cherry Pie

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch, then gradually stir in the cherry juice blend until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook and stir until it’s thickened, about two minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Add in the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and almond extract and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Gradually add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing the mixture with a fork until a ball forms. You may not need all the cold water. Divide the pie dough in half, making one half slightly larger than the other. Form the two portions into balls.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger pie dough ball to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer the pie dough to the plate and trim it so it’s even with the edge. Pour in the cherry pie filling.

Roll out the remaining pie dough and make a lattice pie crust. Seal and flute the edge, then brush with an egg wash, if desired. Editor’s Tip: Using a pastry cutter or pizza cutter, cut the pie dough into 1/2-inch-long strips. Arrange half the strips on top of the pie filling so they’re parallel to each other, leaving a little room in between the pie strips. Fold back every other pie strip, then place one pie strip perpendicular. Fold the pie strips back over the perpendicular strip. Repeat this process, alternating the strips as you go. If making a lattice pie crust seems like a bit too much work, feel free to cover the top with rolled-out pie dough, adding slits so steam can escape. Or try a different (and much easier) decorative pie crust.

Bake the cherry pie for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 375°. Bake until the pie crust is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool the cherry pie on a wire rack. Editor’s Tip: Whenever I bake a fruit pie, I place a sheet tray on the rack underneath the one that the pie is on, just in case the fruit filling starts bubbling over. It’s much easier to clean a sheet tray than the bottom of an oven!