All American Cherry Pie is just All American Awesome! The key is to get the perfect cherries. Fresh, tart red cherries from Traverse City in Northern Michigan are the best, but if you can’t get those or they aren’t in season, good quality, fresh-frozen, pitted tart red cherries will do the trick just fine. But never use the sweet, dark burgundy cherries – the pie will be way too “sicky-sweet”.

All American Cherry Pie Recipe-

Ingredients:

For the Filling-

• 1-1/4 cups granulated pure cane sugar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup 100% pure tart cherry juice
• 4 cups fresh tart red cherries, pitted, or fresh-frozen pitted tart red cherries, thawed
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. pure almond extract

For the Pastry-

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 5-7 tbsp. cold water

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Bring the mixture up to a boil and cook while stirring for 2 minutes or until it becomes thickened.
3. Take the pan off the burner, and add in the cherries, nutmeg, cinnamon, and extracts – then set aside.
4. Combine the salt and flour in a large bowl, then dab in bits of shortening, stirring and combining, until all the shortening is mixed in and the mixture is a crumbly texture.
5. Little by little, add in the cold water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Divide the pastry in unequal halves, with one ball just a little bigger than the other.
6. On a lightly floured flat surface, roll the larger ball out to fit the bottom and walls of a 9″ pie dish. Line the dish with the pastry and trim the edges of any excess. Add in your All American Cherry Pie filling.
7. Roll out remaining pastry, and cut it into 3/4″ wide, long strips. Weave the pastry strips together over the pie filling in a lattice pattern, then trim, seal and flute the edges.
8. Bake your All American Cherry Pie at 425° for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375° and bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until the crust has turned a lovely, rich, golden brown.
9. Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool a bit, but serve while still very warm.  Tastes delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
10. Yield:  8 happy people with nice sized servings of All American Cherry Pie.

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