Today is National Cherry Pie day so I figured I should celebrate. Now I am not the biggest cherry fan so I didn’t make a pie but I got some input and have a roundup of the best recipes out there. But first some history of one of America’s favorite Pies.
When I think of history and cherries, the first thing I think of is George Washington and the cherry tree. I wonder if that is the reason this day is so close to President’s Day. Either way it is no news that President Washington’s favorite dessert was a cherry pie. Pies came to America from England with the first settlers; they first used long narrow tins calling the crust coffins. They also didn’t eat the crust, it was used for holding the filling during baking. During the American Revolution the term crust came around.
The pies are typically made using tart cherries instead of sweet. This helps the baker control the sweetness of the end product and gives a deeper cherry taste. The most common cherry used is the Morello. A way to help enhance the flavor is to add a teaspoon of almond extract.
Now you could buy a pie crust pre made, or make from scratch and both turn out good. My favorite way to make my crust though is using a pie dough mix, all you have to do is add water. This way I feel like it is a bit more homemade then the ones you can buy in the boxes. Plus it is easy to work with if you are doing a lattice top or any other crust designs.
Click here to see how to make a lattice crust.
Here are the links to tried and true recipes.
Here are some fun ways to interpret the cherry pie.
