Sour Cherry Pie

My parents moved from their house into a one bedroom apartment and it was time to clean out their giant freezer and use the produce that was in it. My aunt and uncle have a sour cherry tree in their backyard and we usually use the cherries for platz, fruit mooss, or jam, but this time I wanted to bake a good ol' fashioned cherry pie. I was thrilled with the results. I used my favorite pie dough recipe, which makes three double crust pies. I must make a disclaimer first before you try this recipe; our family really likes tart fruit, and one cup of sugar was enough for us, but it may not be for you. You may want to increase the sugar according to your own taste.

Filling for 1 pie:

• 6 cups pitted and defrosted sour cherries
• 1 cup white sugar (or more depending on your taste for tartness)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 tablespoon butter
•  milk or cream and a bit of sugar for the topping, optional

1. Squeeze all the liquid from defrosted cherries.
2. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extract. I find the almond extract really brings out the cherry flavor. 
3. Pour into the pie shell, dot with the tablespoon of butter.
4.  Finish the pie with the top crust, either with your choice of lattice or full crust. I think the lattice looks pretty on a cherry pie exposing the vibrant color. Anneliese gives a tutorial on how to here. 
5. Brush the top of the pie with a bit of cream and sprinkle with sugar. 
6. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. 
7. Top with some vanilla ice cream and enjoy. 

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