Go Back
classic cherry pie
Print Recipe Save Recipe Pin Recipe

Classic Cherry Pie

Here's how to make classic cherry pie from scratch! There's a flaky pie crust & a sweet cherry & almond filling that's thick enough to slice perfectly.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • 9" Pie Dish
  • Cherry Pitter
  • Juicer
  • Large Saucepan
  • Rolling Pin
  • Ruler

Ingredients

Pie Crust

  • 350 g Plain Flour
  • 30 g Caster Sugar
  • ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
  • 150 g Unsalted Butter (Cold & Cut Into 1cm Chunks)
  • 65 g Lard (Cold & Cut Into 1cm Chunks)
  • 50 g Ice Cold Water
  • 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Cherry Filling

  • 800 g Pitted Fresh Cherries (See Notes)
  • 200 g Caster Sugar
  • 50 g Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • A Pinch Of Sea Salt
  • 40 g Cornflour
  • 40 g Cold Water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Paste
  • 1 tsp Almond Extract

Assembly

  • 1 tbsp Ground Almonds
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Milk
  • Demerara Sugar

Instructions

Pie Crust

  • Place the flour, sugar & salt into a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine then add in the cold butter & lard.
  • Using your fingers, rub the fats into the flour until the pieces are roughly the size of peas. We want to keep the pieces of fat fairly large as this makes the pastry extra flaky!
  • Next, mix the cold water & vinegar together then add into the flour. Mix by hand, until a rough dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as this happens!
  • Tip the dough out onto a clean work surface & knead gently until smooth (be careful not to overwork the pastry) then cut in half, flatten into discs & wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cherry Filling

  • Cut the pitted cherries in half if they're big. If they're small, keep them whole.
  • Add the cherries into a large saucepan, along with the sugar, butter, lemon juice & salt. Set the pan over a medium-low heat & cook, stirring frequently until the cherries have softened slightly & they have released lots of juice. This will take 5-10 minutes.
    Give the cherries a taste before thickening, adding in more sugar if needed.
  • Whilst the cherries are cooking, place the cornflour & water into a bowl then stir to make a smooth paste.
  • Once the cherries are ready, turn the heat up to medium then stir in the cornflour paste. Continue cooking, stirring regularly until the juice has thickened, this will take 2-3 minutes. The juice needs to be just bubbling, in order to activate the cornflour.
  • Take the pan off the heat then stir in the vanilla paste & almond extract. Transfer the filling to a container, leave to cool then chill in the fridge until completely cold (or for up to a day).

Assembly

  • Take one piece of pastry out of the fridge, leave to sit out for 20 minutes then roll out on a lightly floured surface into a disc that's an inch bigger than your pie dish. The pastry should be 3-4mm thick.
    Lightly dust the top of the pastry with flour to stop it sticking to your rolling pin. To get a uniform circle, turn the pastry a quarter turn after each roll. Take the other piece of pastry out of the fridge just before you roll out the first piece.
  • Carefully roll the pastry around your rolling pin, unroll into a 9" pie dish then gently press the pastry into the tin. The pastry should be overhanging the edge by a couple of centimetres.
  • Sprinkle the ground almonds onto the bottom of the pie then spoon the cold cherry filling on top. Use a spatula/palette knife to spread it out into an even layer. If your kitchen is warm, place the pie in the fridge whilst you make the lattice.
  • Next, roll the other piece of pastry out into a 12" circle then cut it into 12x 1 inch strips.
    I find that a pizza cutter works best here!
  • To assemble the lattice, place 6 of the strips on top of the pie so that they're facing horizontally & are spaced apart evenly. Fold every other strip back so that they're hanging off the edge of the tin then place one of the unused strips next to them facing vertically. Fold the strips back over the top.
    Next, fold the other 3 horizontal strips back, place another unused strip next to it, facing vertically then fold the horizontal strips back over. Repeat this process, with alternating strips of pastry until you've used all the pastry up & you've got a complete lattice.
    Use the longer strips for the middle of the pie & the shorter ones for the edges. There's a visual guide to making lattice in the post above.
  • If needed, trim the edges of the lattice so that it's level with the edge of the pie dish then fold the overhanging pastry (from the bottom crust) over onto the edge of the pie dish. Crimp as desired then chill the pie in the fridge for at least an hour.

Baking

  • Preheat an oven to 220°c/200°c fan (428°f/392°f). Place a large baking tray in the oven at the same time. Make sure to give the oven & tray plenty of time to heat up.
  • Next, place the egg & milk into a bowl then whisk together. Brush a thin, even layer of the egg wash over the top of the pie then sprinkle a generous amount of demerara sugar over the lattice.
  • Place the pie onto the preheated tray, bake for 20 minutes then turn the oven temperature down to 180°c/356°f. Continue baking for 45-50 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden brown all over & the filling is bubbling. If the pastry starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with foil.
  • Once cooked, let the pie cool completely before serving. This will take at least 4 hours but if you've got time, an overnight chill in the fridge is best.
    I've found that a small, sharp knife works best for cutting the pie into slices!

Notes

1. To Bake In An Aga - Use the simmering plate to cook the cherry filling. Bake the pie in the roasting oven on the bottom set of runners for 20 minutes then move over to the bottom set of runners in the baking oven for the rest of the cook.
2. Cherries - This recipe will work with fresh or frozen cherries. For 800 grams of pitted cherries, you'll need roughly 900 grams of un pitted cherries. If you're using frozen cherries, let them defrost fully first. Frozen cherries will release more juice, so you might need more cornflour. 
I used a mix of sweet & sour cherries but feel free to use just one type if you'd prefer. I'd recommend giving the filling a taste before you add in the cornflour then adding in more sugar if needed.
3. Making In Advance - Both the pastry & filling can be made up to a day in advance & will need to be stored in the fridge.
4. Storage & Serving - Cherry pie needs to be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within 3 days. You can serve the pie cold, at room temperature or warm. To serve warm, it's best to microwave individual slices. To serve at room temperature, leave slices out of the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.