I adore cherries and eagerly await their all-too-short season every year. This pie is a perfect vehicle for their consumption. Brimming over with ripe, luscious fruit, sandwiched between a tender crust and sweet brown sugar crumb, it is downright divine. Just hold yourself back from digging in until it’s cooled fully or you’ll be in for one messy treat. Either way, enjoy. This is one of my very favorite desserts.
Serves 10.
SODIUM CONTENT: 3.6 mg per serving
INGREDIENTS
CRUST:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. sugar
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3 T. water
FILLING:
3 c. fresh ripe sweet cherries, pitted
3 c. fresh ripe blueberries
2/3 c. sugar
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 T. corn starch
TOPPING:
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 t. ground cinnamon
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Get out a standard 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
Measure the flour and sugar for the crust into a mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or your fingertips. Add the water and begin drawing the dough together using your hands. Once dough has formed, place it on a lightly-floured surface and begin rolling it out using a rolling pin, dusting with flour as necessary. Roll the dough out into a large circle, about 1/8-1/4-inch in thickness. Carefully move the dough from the counter to the pan. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan, then trim the excess dough from around the edges using a sharp knife. Patch any cracks or holes if needed. Crimp sides as desired or use the tines of a fork to make a design. Set crust aside.
Place the cherries and blueberries for the filling into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, lemon juice and corn starch and stir well to combine. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Cover edge of the crust with a pie shield if desired. Place the pie pan onto a baking sheet (to catch any drips), then place the baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven and bake 15 minutes.
In the meantime, assemble the crumb topping. Measure the brown sugar, flour, oats, chopped walnuts and cinnamon into a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Cut the butter in using your fingertips and process until mixture resembles a coarse crumb. Set aside.
Remove pie from oven and carefully remove pie shield if you are using one. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the surface of the pie, then cover the top of the pie with aluminum foil. Return pan to the middle rack in the oven and bake 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven, remove the aluminum foil, and return to the oven. Bake uncovered 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and place on wire rack to cool. Cool fully before slicing and serving. This pie is fabulous on its own, or paired with whipped cream or ice cream.
