DARK SWEET CHERRIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
• Combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a large saucepan; stir in water until mixture is smooth. Add cherries and butter to sugar mixture and bring to a boil; cook and stir until cherry mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour cherry filling into the prepared baking dish.
• Mix flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir milk into flour mixture until topping is just moistened. Drop topping by spoonfuls over cherry filling; sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over topping.
• Bake in the preheated oven until topping is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Divide dough in half so that one ball is slightly larger than the other. Roll out larger ball to fit a 7-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry even with edge. , For filling, combine sugar with cornstarch in a microwave-safe bowl. Drain cherries and reserve 2 tablespoons juice. Stir in cherries; reserved juice, lemon juice and almond extract. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened, stirring occasionally. Pour into crust. Dot with butter., Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Place over filling. Flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. , Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake 25-30 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.