Simple Cherry Pie

Cherry Pie is D's favorite. When we first got married, we used to go to the farms and pick different varieties of cherries and then can the pie-cherries at home so we can make cherry pie any time. But, over the years, cherry crop has been iffy, and many farms don't offer U-pick for cherries anymore... so, we just end up picking berries every summer.

Anyway, I am not really a big pie fan, so I make pies about twice or thrice a year at the most. But, every once in a while I don't mind a slice of pie. And something wholesome and homemade like this cherry pie, with a small scoop of ice cream satisfies my sweet tooth for months at a stretch.

Ana does not like cherry pie. She likes the banana cream pie, she doesn't mind pumpkin pie, but, she finds the cherry pie a bit too tart to her liking, despite the bit of sugar added to compensate for the tartness.

Ingredients

Filling: 2 16-oz cans pitted tart red cherries (water-packed) 1½ cups sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch 1 Tbsp butter ½ tsp almond extract a few drops red food coloring (optional) some milk and extra sugar

Double-crust Pie Pastry: 2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 2/3 cup shortening 6-7 Tbsp cold water

Preparation:

1. Double-Crust Pie Pastry: Mix together flour and salt; cut in the shortening; sprinkle a Tbsp of water at a time, toss with fork, push aside and add another Tbsp and so on till all the flour is moistened; form the dough into 2 balls; roll one ball into a 12-inch flat circle; do not overwork the dough; save the other ball for the top crust
2. Cherry Filling: Drain cherries, reserve 1 cup of liquid; combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, and stir in the reserved cherry liquid; cook over medium heat till thick and bubbly; remove from heat, add the cherries, butter and almond extract, and food coloring, if using; allow to stand till it gels a bit
3. Place the rolled out pastry on a pie plate carefully, without stretching, allow to fall over the edge and trim around the edge; add the cooled cherry filling
4. Top Lattice Crust: Roll out the second ball of dough and cut into ½ inch strips; weave the strips along the top to make a lattice crust; brush top of pastry with some milk and sprinkle with sugar; flute the edges - i.e., pinch them into a zig-zag shape, or simply press down with tines of fork like for single-crust banana cream pie
5. Bake in a 375°F oven for 25 minutes or more till golden
6. Cool the pie on a rack before serving