Happy Pie Day!
No, not Pi Day… For those of us who are math geeks (and I certainly am…), we all celebrated Pi Day a few months ago on 3/14.
But, I am perfectly OK with celebrating pie (or pi) a twice a year!
When I read that Shauna was encouraging everyone to make and post a recipe for pie on July 5th, I knew that I wanted to be involved. I had the privilege of hearing Shauna (you probably know her as Gluten-Free Girl) speak last year at IFBC, and I can honestly tell you that she was one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. While I do not have any serious food allergies or sensitivities, I really found what she had to say to be motivating and inspiring. While I could not directly relate to her experiences with Celiac, I felt like I really connected with her message about making food that everyone can enjoy. After all, I cook and bake for the people I love. When you take the people out of the equation, it’s just not the same!
This time around, I didn’t have the ingredients on hand to make a gluten-free pie… Since going to the grocery store is a bit of an ordeal for me at the moment, I ended up opting to make a pie using my go-to pie crust recipe (and since no one in my immediate family has a sensitivity to gluten, it was OK!). However, I have put Shauna’s Gluten Free Pie Crust recipe on my list of recipes to try this summer.
I’ve actually been experimenting with gluten-free ingredients a lot lately, and I can assure you that there will be some recipes to come soon. That’s another point that Shauna made that really stuck with me… There is a whole new world of flours out there just waiting to be used. Why do we always choose wheat? I am all for trying new things, so you’ll be seeing plenty of recipes using new ingredients coming soon. But for now, let’s get back to that pie!
Last week, since we were getting together wtih my parents for a belated Father’s Day cookout, I decided to make cherry pie. It’s one of my dad’s favorites, and it happens to be one of my favorites, too. In the past, I have had issues with my cherry pies “bleeding out” (yes, I watch way too much E.R. and Grey’s Anatomy), but this time, I tried using tapioca instead of corn starch, and it worked like a charm. The pie turned out beautifully, and everyone enjoyed it.
We all had a great evening (Yellowdog included!), and once I delivered the pie, I was happy to kick up my feet and relax for a little while. I’m feeling much better lately, but I still have to take it easy. Fortunately, summer’s good for that!
Cherry Pie
- Pie dough for a double crust pie
(Try my go-to recipe or Shauna’s gluten-free recipe!) - 5 1/2 cups pitted sour cherries
- 1/4 cup quick tapioca
(If you are making a gluten free pie, be sure that your tapioca is gluten free!) - 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 – 2 tablespoons half and half
- Raw sugar
Prepare the pie dough and refrigerate, if needed. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In the meantime, stir together the cherries, tapioca, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix well.
Divide the pie dough in half. Roll out the bottom crust and place it in the bottom of a pie dish. Fill the bottom crust with the cherry filling. Then, roll out the remaining dough for the top of the pie. You can simply place the top crust on top of the filling and cut slits in it. Or, you can make a lattice crust (which, you can see I opted for the lattice crust).
Brush the top of the pie with half and half and sprinkle with raw sugar. Cover the pie with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the top of the pie is golden. Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack before serving.
I’ve been looking for a good cherry pie recipe, it’s one of my favorites but I can never seem to get that filling just right.
That’s one beautiful pie Jen. Makes me want to go to the store and get a couple of pounds of cherries and get baking.
Jen, I just love this post and your pie is beautiful! Love the snapshot of your day. I made my Pie Day pie for a belated Father’s Day cookout too!
It is simply delicious! I made my first attempt with a fruit pie for the Pie Party, but a cherry pie is the next one on my list! Gorgeous gorgeous pie!
Gorgeous pie! I love cherry pie and yours looks awesome!
Happy Pie Day – and look how cute you are! This pie looks simply amazing. I totally need to get one of those pastry cutters that makes the pretty edges. Well done, Jen!
That pie is gorgeous–it’s next on my list. I lost my crimply pie cutter, and I think the ruffly edges look vastly better than the plain ones! Happy pie party!
Jen, you are so darn adorable, and that pie is gorgeous! I dream of making pie crusts that beautiful.
Beautiful pie! I wish I could find sour cherries, but for some reason I can’t find them around here. Your crust looks amazing too, love the lattice!
Oh my goodness, the pie is almost as cute as you! Looks like you had lots of fun and I would love a piece of that pie!!
GORGEOUS! you AND your pie Jen!!
Mmmm. Cherry pie is one of my favorites! Great picture of you too! xo
This pie looks PERFECT, i absolutely love the simple touch of sprinkling the top with sugar, it looks like its crisped up deliciously. I dont think ive ever had a cherry pie but this needs to be altered very soon indeed i feel :)
This is one of the prettiest pies I’ve seen in ages. It is simply gorgeous. Great work. And, darling dog, too.
Your pie is gorgeous Jen, I’m a sucker for a lattice top! Cherry pie is one of my favorites – it makes me wish cherry season lasted a little longer.
Great photos Jen…your pie looks like cherry perfection!
Beautiful pie Jen! Good to see that you and Yellowdog are looking wonderful too :)
Such a delicious (and beautiful!) looking pie. When I was a child I used to hate cherry pie but as an adult I find it’s really delicious.
Jen, this is one seriously gorgeous pie!
So glad you are feeling better enough to bake such a beautiful pie! And there you and Yellowdog are! Looking good :)