Amish Cherry Pie With Never-Fail Pie Crust

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If you ever wanted to make a delicious cherry pie that had thick, glossy filling that doesn’t spill out, then this is the one you need to try. This Amish Cherry Pie is unbelievably delicious, with its scrumptious filling bursting with cherry flavor and its homemade never-fail crust which was inspired by an Amish cookbook I picked up at a secon hand book fair, it tastes like the pie Grandma used to put on the windowsill. The crunchy golden brown crust and lattice top make this a member of the ultra-exclusive double crust pies club, but you can always do another pattern or leave the top bare. 

The Crust

The crust recipe is credited to the Old Amish Cookbook, where I learned about the important of adding a small bit of vinegar to the pie crust. The acid from the vinegar helps to keep the dough from turning grey while you chill it, and helps to inhibit the gluten formation in the dough so it can retain its shape better while baking.

The ice water is also important as it helps to do two things- keep the fat cold as well as keep the gluten from forming too much. This all helps to prevent an overworked pie crust, which spells tough instead of tender and flaky.

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What Is Clear Jel?

Clear Jel is a modified cornstarch that bakers swear by because it provides superior clarity, a smooth glossy texture and can withstand high heat without breaking down. It has excellent thickening properties and really lives up to its name by providing a clear, almost glass like appearance to baked goods.

I tried making this pie with cornstarch at first because I did not have Clear Jel, and it was alright, but the texture of the filling with cloudy, slightly pasty from the starch and I had to wait much longer to cool the pie because the filling was super runny. 

I can honestly say I may never go back to cornstarch for baking again, because the Clear Jel really takes my desserts to the next level and it’s much easier to work with! It also is very freezer friendly, so you can thaw and bake without worrying if the starch will hold up the pie filling later. 

You can buy Clear Jel at your local grocery store if they have a robust baking section- unfortunately my store did not carry it but I was able to easily purchase it here on Amazon!

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What Types of Cherries Should I Use For Cherry Pie?

For this recipes I tested it 3 ways:

• Dark cherries only
• Sour cherries only (Morellos)
• 50/50 mix of dark cherries and sour cherries

I had a bit of a Goldilocks moment when I was testing these pies.

I found that the the filling with dark cherries only tasted a little flat, and a bit too sweet for my liking. When I tested with sour cherries only, the opposite happened and my pie came out a bit sour.

The 50/50 mix of dark cherries and sour cherries was the perfect mix of dark sweetness and bright acidity that I was looking for.

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Pitting Cherries By Hand

Dark cherries are large enough to be pitted with a metal straw if you have one on hand. You can also use a chopstick but I find that a metal straw requires less handwork for larger cherry varieties.

Sour cherries are a bit smaller than dark cherries, so I would recommend if you are pitting them, to either use a pitting tool or a chopstick to push out the pit. A metal straw will push out a large portion of the cherry fruit, so to avoid that use a tool with less surface area.

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The Easiest Way To Weave A Lattice Pie Crust

Weaving a lattice pie crust adds a beautiful touch to any pie. Here are the simple steps to achieving the best lattice:

Step 1: Roll out the pie crust dough: Roll out your pie crust dough into a large circle on a lightly floured surface. The diameter should be slightly larger than your pie pan. Carefully transfer the rolled-out dough to the pie pan and gently press it into the bottom and sides.

Step 2: Cut dough strips: Using a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or a pastry wheel, cut the rolled-out dough into even strips, about 1/2 to 1 inch wide. The number of strips you’ll need depends on the size of your pie pan and the desired lattice pattern.

Step 3: Weave the lattice pattern: Take half of the dough strips and lay them vertically across the pie filling, evenly spaced. Leave a small gap between each strip. Starting from one end, fold back every other strip halfway. Place a horizontal dough strip across the unfolded strips. Unfold the folded strips over the horizontal strip. Now fold back the alternate strips that were not folded previously, creating a space for another horizontal strip. Continue this process until you have woven all the dough strips into a lattice pattern.

Step 4: Trim and seal the lattice: Trim the excess dough from the edges of the lattice strips, leaving a small overhang. Fold the overhang under the edge of the bottom crust and press to seal. Crimp the edges of the pie crust with your fingers or a fork for a decorative finish.

That’s it! Your lattice pie crust is complete and ready to be baked! 

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Amish Cherry Pie Recipe

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 cups pitted fresh cherries (I like a 50/50 mix of Rainier cherries and sour cherries like Morello or Montmorency)
• ⅔ cup of sugar
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• ¼ tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Clear Jel
• 3 tbsp cold butter
• 1 beaten egg, for egg wash

Never Fail Pie Crust

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup shortening or lard
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 tbsp ice water

INSTRUCTIONS 

• If you haven’t already, remove the stems from the cherries and pit them. I find that using a metal straw is an easy way to pit them if you don’t have a cherry-pitting tool. 
• Cut 1/3 of the cherries into halves, 1/3 into quarters, and the remaining third left whole. This will help to keep the pie filling intact.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries and cherry juice, sugar, apple cider vinegar, almond extract, vanilla extract and Clear Jel together over medium heat.
• Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherry mixture is thick and glossy, and you can see the bottom of the saucepan when scraping it with a spoon. 
• Remove from heat and mix butter into the cherries, stirring constantly until it is combine. Set aside to cool.
• While the pie filling is cooling, make the pie crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and shortening and rub between your fingers until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. 
• In a separate bowl, mix the egg, vinegar and water together.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Mix the dough until just combined but avoid overworking the dough. Some lumps/fat pieces is ok as long as the dough is damp.
• Divide the dough into two equal parts and roll out dough until about 1/8 inch thick and 1½ inches larger than the pie pan. Press one disk of dough into the pie pan, ensuring the bottom and sides are lined with dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.

Assembling The Pie

• Start by measuring out the amount of pie crust you’ll need for the bottom. Flip the pie dish over and lay it on the pie crust, then cut a circle out of the crust about 1-2 inches beyond the edge of the pan. This way you will have enough crust to push down into the pan as well as fold over to form the edge.
• Lay the pie dough across the pie pan and gently push down so that the bottom and side edges of the pan are uniformly covered with crust. It’s ok if there is some extra crust hanging off the edges for now.
• For the top crust (optional but recommended), roll out the remaining portion of pie crust to build your lattice (see instructions above) or to cover your entire pie.
• Pour cherry mixture into pie shell and spread out so there is an even layer of the pie filling.
• Lay your top crust over the cherry mixture and trim the edges.
• Crimp the edges of the pie and brush all over with the egg.
• If you want, you can sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top for extra crunch.
• Bake at 400F for 40 minutes until golden brown. If the edges of the pie are browning too quickly, cover them with foil to prevent burning.
• Remove the pie from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting. If you cut too soon the warm filling will spill out.