DESSERTS WITH CHERRY PIE FILLING RECIPES

Steps:

• Place cherries in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well. Add the almond extract, if desired, and mix. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water, too thin, add a little more cornstarch.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Use your favorite pie dough recipe. Prepare your crust. Divide in half. Roll out each piece large enough to fit into an 8 to 9-inch pan. Pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust. Dot with butter. Moisten edge of bottom crust. Place top crust on and flute the edge of the pie. Make a slit in the middle of the crust for steam to escape. Sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Steps:

• For the crust: Gradually work the butter and shortening into the flour in a large bowl using a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add it to the flour mixture. Add the water, sugar, white vinegar and salt. Stir gently to combine. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. Place each in a large resealable plastic bag and flatten to about 1/2 inch thick using a rolling pin. Place the bags of dough in the freezer until you need them. For the filling: Combine the cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until the juices are hot and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Combine the cornstarch and lemon juice in a small bowl and add it to the cherry mixture. Continue to cook until glossy and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Remove the dough from the freezer and let thaw until slightly softened. Put a rack in the lowest position of the oven and preheat to 375 ̊. On a floured surface, roll out one round of dough into an 11-inch round, starting at the center and working your way out. Sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist. If the dough is sticking to the countertop, use a metal spatula to carefully scrape it up and flip it over. Lift the dough into a 9-inch pie pan and gently press it against the edges of the pan. Fill with the cooled cherry filling. Roll out the other round of dough to the same size and place it over the pie. Trim the excess dough around the edges and crimp the top and bottom crusts together to seal them. Cut a few vent holes in the top crust. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl for the egg wash. Brush on the top crust and sprinkle with sugar. Put the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is browned, about 1 hour 10 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking. Let cool about 2 hours before slicing. Serve with ice cream.