With summer quickly approaching, many people are beginning to uncover their grills and take out patio furniture for the warmer months. Cookouts, picnics, and dinner parties are an essential part of summer. Burgers and hotdogs slowly cooking on the grill, fresh fruit and vegetables separated into bowls for snacking, macaroni salad and potato salad chilling in the refrigerator until dinnertime, and of course, a freshly baked pie waiting to be topped with a perfect scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Pies make for the perfect summer dessert because of their versatility. There are typically two types of pies: fruit pies and cream pies. Fruit pies can be eaten fresh out of the oven, or cooled down and enjoyed later on in the day. Fruit pies can contain just about any fruit, as long as it is in the right season. They also usually have a double crust or crust on the bottom and the top. The top crust, also called the lattice, is usually decorative and comes in many different designs. Cream pies, however, are usually single-crusted pies with crust on the bottom and a fluffy cream filling or custard inside. These pies are then cooled completely until the filling holds its shape before it’s time to enjoy. Key lime, banana cream, and French silk make for some of the best pies that aren’t filled with fruit slices. 

The warmer months of the year are prime time for many berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and stone fruits. Stone fruits have a pit in the center surrounded by the sweet, fleshy outer area of the fruit that we all love to eat. Some common stone fruits include cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots, and mangoes. Both berries and stone fruits are perfect for the filling of fruit pies. According to Harry and David, a popular food company and gift producer, cherry pie is one of the most popular pies consumed in America. Cherry pie is commonly found topped with a melting scoop of ice cream and is a staple dessert for backyard barbecues every summer. Each summer, I try to make a fresh cherry pie for my family to enjoy. Here is my favorite gooey cherry pie recipe with a golden flaky crust.

Cherry Pie

For the crust:

• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 2 sticks of cold, unsalted butter
• ½ cup of cold water (more or less depending on the texture of the dough)

For the filling:

• 2 ½ pounds or about 6 ½-7 cups of sweet cherries
• 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
• ¾ cup of granulated sugar
• 5 Tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon of water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add to the bowl of dry ingredients.
3. With a pastry blender or a fork, blend the butter and dry ingredients together until the mixture is crumbly.
4. Gradually add the cold water to the mixture, mixing it constantly until a dough begins to form. Once the dough sticks to itself, you are done adding water. If too much water is added, the dough will be sticky and more flour will need to be added.
5. On a flat, floured surface, knead the dough into a smooth ball. Divide the dough into two balls and place them separately in a plastic bag. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator while you make the pie filling.
6. Wash the cherries, remove the stems and pit them, cut them in half, and place them in a large bowl.
7. Pour the lemon juice over the cherries and stir them around. 
8. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon to the cherries and toss them until they are covered in the dry ingredient mixture.
9. Preheat the oven to 425 F
10. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. On a flat surface, roll one of the balls of dough into a circle about 13 inches in diameter and place it into the bottom of a deep, 9-inch pie plate.
11. Fill the bottom crust with the cherries and spread them evenly throughout the pan. 
12. Cut the tablespoon of unsalted butter into small pieces and place them evenly throughout the cherry filling.
13. For the top crust, there’s a lot of room for creativity. Rolling out the second ball of dough into a circle big enough to cover the pan, or creating a design, or lattice, out of the crust is completely up to you. I prefer to cut the dough into 1-inch strips and arrange them to create a stunning criss-cross design on top of the pie. 
14. Once the top crust is finished, whisk together in a small bowl, the egg and the water.
15. Brush the top crust of the pie with the egg wash. 
16. Bake the pie for 25 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 F for another 30-35 minutes. The pie is done when the filling is thick and bubbly.
17. Once the pie is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool before serving. Serve the pie as it is or with a scoop of ice cream!

This recipe is my favorite for a good summer cherry pie! I hope you enjoy it just as much as my family does! Happy baking!