Jessica Food

SWEET SUMMER CHERRY PIE

Sweet Cherry Pie Sweet Cherry Pie

Summer time is cherry season. Who does not have sweet childhood memories of eating fresh cherries from the trees. My grandmother used to have a big yard, every summer we would sneak cherries from her cherry trees and have a sweet feast, but our hands & face fully covered with red color would always reveal us. In our neighboring town, cherry trees and fields have been growing this summer as far as the eye can see. We could not resist buying a big bag of fresh cherries – and since I am all grown up now, I decided to make A Sweet Summery Cherry Pie.

SWEET SUMMER 

This homemade cherry pie tastes like summer & sweet childhood memories. The luscious cherry filling is baked in a crunchy pie crust. – Mhhh so scrumptious! Cherries btw are not only great as a sweet snack, but also contain a number of health benefits (see the list below)!

 Health Benefits of Cherries 

  • Cherries are rich in Antioxidants which can PROTECT CELL DAMAGE
  • WEIGHT LOSS because cherries contain more than 75% of water
  • The melatonin in cherries might help regulating your SLEEPING CYCLE
  • Polyphenol, a type of antioxidant, can reduce BLOOD PRESSURE
  • Cherries are also said to help with PAIN RELIEF and speed up RECOVERY after exercise

INGREDIENTS

Pie Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 2 sticks butter (1 cup or 250 g)
  • 1/4 cup ice water

Filling

  • 750 g cherries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 full tsp. cornstarch
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp. of water
  • Granulated sugar for sprinkling

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Filling:

  1. Wash and stone the cherries. Put them in a big bowl, add the sugar, cornstarch and freshly pressed lemon juice.
  2. Cover the bowl and let the cherries sit. In the meantime start preparing the crust.

Crust:

  1. Start by mixing all dry ingredients for the dough: Flour, salt and sugar. Add the butter cut into pieces, knead the mixture with your hands and add the ice water. The dough should be slightly crumbly, but stick together when you knead it.
  2. Cut the dough in 2 equally big pieces. Put each dough in a plastic bag and leave it in the fridge for about 1 hour.
  3. Preheat the oven to 300 Degrees. Roll out the first dough on a floured baking surface to a size that generously covers your baking form. Best is a low, crimped form. Spray the form evenly with butter and gently press the dough into the form, filling out the corners (The dough should overlap the form about the width of your thumb)
  4. Roll out the second dough on a flood baking surface into a round form and cut it into strips (about 1 inch wide).
  5. Evenly fill the cake with the cherry mixture. Add the strips on top (3 in each row) and braid the second layer. Evenly cut the edges of the crust with a knife around the baking form.
  6. Beat one egg yolk with 2 tbsp. of water. Add the egg yolk on top of the crust, sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon on top.
  7. Bake the cherry pie in the oven for about 1 hour. The pie is done when the crust has a nice color with some brown spots.

TIP: The pie is even more delicious when it`s served warm. Topped with some vanilla or strawberry ice cream the cake is a sweet summer treat!

Enjoy this sweet summer.