Ingredients
- One 9-inch Pure Butter Pie Crust
- 4 tablespoons almond or cherry liquor or water
- 3/4 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon instant tapioca
- 5 cups fresh sour cherries
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (only if using sweet cherries)
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- Pinch salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cherry pies create juicy bubbles which spill over during baking, for easy clean up, place pie shell on an aluminum foil lined cookie tray and set aside.
- In a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients combine liquor, sugar and tapioca.
- Pit cherries and add to above mixture.
- Melt butter and add along with salt. Add lemon juice if using non-sour cherries.
- Allow tapioca to hydrate for 20 minutes before placing in pie shell.
- Roll dough into desired thickness of about 1/8 inch and place in pie pan. Ensure no rips or tears are visible.
- Fill in pie shell. On a well-floured surface roll remaining pie dough 3-4 credit cards thick.
- Cut into strips and place first strip onto center of pie. Place second strip crosswise over first. Place remaining strips starting from center strips in clockwise fashion onto pie.
- Place in oven and bake until thick visible bubbles have formed on pie, indicating that tapioca has properly thickened the juices, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Imperial Sugar Insight
NOTES:
- This cherry pie recipe is best with fresh sour cherries. If using standard sweet cherries add lemon juice for a delectable balance of flavor.
- If in a time-crunch, a pre-made butter crust can be used.