Lattice Topped Cherry Pie

Who doesn't love pie?  Peter has been asking me to make a fruit pie for some time now, and since I've been home "studying" full time this month, I thought now would be a good time!  Cherry pie is just all-American, don't you think?

My brother-in-law, his wife and their baby (our nephew Brayden!) just moved back to the area, and I took this pie over there to share with them.  Who doesn't need comfort food when moving!  It was a big hit, even with Mr. Brayden himself, who thought the cherries were pretty great :)

Ok so a word on pie crust...it seems kinda daunting, and by no means am I an expert.  I do have a pretty good recipe (from my friend Betsy!), but I think for today I'll leave you to using either a store bought unbaked pie crust or your own trusted recipe.  I think pastry crusts deserve their own post, and this recipe is long enough already!  The trick to a flaky crust, though, is keeping everything cold, cold cold!

Lattice Topped Cherry Pie

Unbaked pie crust for a 2 crust pie (either store bought or your own recipe)
2 bags frozen cherries (about 16 ounces total), or about 4 cups fresh cherries (pitted!)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling on crust
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg (for eggwash)

Place thawed cherries in a medium saucepan and heat over medium until the cherries lose a lot of juice (a few minutes).  In a small bowl combine cornstarch and sugar, then mix into the hot cherries.  Continue cooking cherry mixture until it's thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and transfer to a glass bowl.  Stir in almond and vanilla extracts.  Allow to cool completely.

When ready to bake the pie, preheat oven to 375.  Roll out half the pie dough, roll up the round onto the rolling pin, then transfer to 9" pie dish.  Prick the bottom with a fork to prevent the crust from bubbling, then pour the cherries over the top.  Roll out the other half of the pie dough, and with a pizza cutter, cut out even strips of pie dough.  Arrange about 5 strips going one direction across the top of the pie.  Fold back every other strip, then place another strip going the other direction.  Put back the strips you folded back, and now fold up the other strips and repeat to create the lattice top.  Crimp the edge of the crust with a fork or your finger.

In a small bowl beat an egg, and with a pastry brush, brush the eggwash onto the pie crust (this will make it nice and golden).  Sprinkle the top of the whole pie with sugar (for some sparkle).  Place pie plate on baking sheet (incase there is cherry spillage!) and line the edge of the crust with foil to prevent burning.  Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue baking for 25-30 minutes more or until crust is golden.  Allow to cool completely before serving.