Cherry Pie

Eating this cherry pie makes the extra time and effort to make everything from scratch worth it. And the delicate crust isn't loaded with butter like most pie crusts, so you won't feel as bad about having that piece of pie.

Cherry pie filling ingredients:

1-1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons corn starch or quick-cooking tapioca

5-1/2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened pitted tart red cherries (use sweet if you can't find unsweetened)

1 or 2 unbaked pie crusts (bake 2 if you want to use one on top of the pie or as a lattice top)

1. In a large bowl, stir together sugar and corn starch. Add cherries; gently toss until coated. Let mixture stand for about 15 minutes or until a syrup forms, stirring occasionally. (If using frozen cherries, let cherry mixture stand for 45 minutes or until fruit is partially thawed.)

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare and roll out the pie crust(s).

Pie crust ingredients:

Yield: 1 single pie crust

1-1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2-1/2 tablespoons milk

2 pieces of wax paper

3. Mix the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl with a fork. In a liquid measuring cup, mix together the oil and milk with a fork, making a temporary emulsion.

4. Dump the liquid all at once into the flour mixture, and mix together lightly with a fork. Once the mixture cleans the sides of the bowl, lightly press together into a ball. Do not knead. Using hands, flatten out dough onto one piece of wax paper.

5. Be sure to repair any cracks that form. Lay the other piece of wax paper crosswise over dough. This creates a guide to use for the size of pie crust.

6. Using rolling pin, roll dough from the middle. Push out, then lift dough up so it doesn't stick to your work surface. Press down lightly and go slowly. Remove creases in wax paper or they will tear the crust. Flip the pie dough/wax paper over and continue rolling it out until it measures 1 inch beyond the edge of your pie pan. Don't roll it too thin.

7. Remove the top sheet of wax paper and center the crust over the pie pan with the remaining sheet of wax paper on top. Slowly ease the crust into the pan while carefully removing the sheet of wax paper. Make the edges how you like them, either pressing down with your fingers or using a fork to crimp them.

8. Using a fork, poke small holes on all surfaces of the crust (don't forget the sides) to prevent air bubbles. Be sure to repair any tears in the crust. If the recipe calls for a baked pie crust, then bake immediately at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.

9. Stir the cherry mixture; carefully pour it into the pie pan on top of the bottom crust. Trim the bottom pie crust to the edge of the pie pan. For a fully covered pie, cut slits in in the center of the other pie crust. Place this crust on the filling and seal the edges. Crimp the edges as desired.

*For a lattice-top pie: cut the second pie crust into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Weave the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern. Press strip ends into bottom pastry rim. Fold bottom pastry strip over strip ends; seal and crimp edge.*

10. If desired, brush the top pastry with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, in case the filling bubbles out.

11. To prevent over-browning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Bake for 30 minutes (or 50 minutes for partially-thawed fruit).

12. Remove foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and pastry is golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve and enjoy!