Description
This classic baked fresh cherry pie features a flaky double crust filled with a luscious cherry mixture thickened with quick-cooking tapioca and enhanced with almond and vanilla extracts. Perfectly golden and bursting with juicy cherries, this pie is ideal for dessert lovers seeking a traditional, homemade fruit pie.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie (for bottom crust)
- 1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie (for top crust)
Filling
- 4 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
- â…› teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 cups pitted cherries
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place the bottom crust in a 9-inch pie pan and set the top crust aside, covered, to prevent drying.
- Prepare Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the quick-cooking tapioca, salt, white sugar, pitted cherries, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Stir well and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes to allow the tapioca to absorb the cherry juices and thicken the filling.
- Fill Pie: Pour the cherry mixture evenly into the prepared bottom crust in the pie pan. Dot the filling with small pieces of the 1 ½ tablespoons butter, which will add richness and help develop a glossy finish.
- Cover and Vent: Place the top pastry crust over the filling. Seal the edges by fluting them together to create a decorative border. Cut vents into the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking, preventing sogginess.
- Prepare for Baking: Place the pie on a foil-lined cookie sheet to catch any drips during baking, keeping the oven clean and catching any filling overflow.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Cool: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for several hours. Cooling helps the filling set perfectly, making it easier to slice and enhancing flavor.
Notes
- Using quick-cooking tapioca ensures the filling thickens nicely without becoming too runny.
- Letting the cherry filling sit before baking allows natural juices to blend with the tapioca for perfect consistency.
- Cutting vents in the top crust is essential to avoid a soggy pie and to make the crust crisp.
- Cooling the pie thoroughly before slicing helps the filling to set and maintain its structure.
- For a shiny, golden crust, you can brush the top with an egg wash before baking (optional).
