President's Day Cherry Pie

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Everyone knows that George Washington was a sucker for a good cherry pie. Why else would he have cut down that tree? Just like good ol' George, we cannot tell a lie: This pie is delicious, and just right for the President's Day Weekend! And if you're in the Pacific NW like we are, the snow outside should give you a good reason to stay in and bake a little. Plus, it's perfect for Valentine's Day, too!

Here is what you need:

  • Two 9" pie crusts (frozen is what we use, but you are more than welcome to make your own)
  • One can of dark sweet cherries (we use Oregon Fruit Products for their great flavor)
  • 1/3 cup of dried sweet cherries
  • 1/3 cup of dried tart cherries
  • 1/3 cup of dried apricots (sliced in half)


  • One cup of pure black cherry juice (we use Lakewood because it has a mild sweetness)

  • 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of sugar (depends on how sweet you want your filling to be)
  • Three tablespoons of cornstarch
  • Three tablespoons of juice from the canned cherries (this gets mixed with cornstarch)

  • One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice









And here is how you make the magic happen:

Start by making your filling first!

  • Place the three 1/3 cups of dried sweet cherries, dried tart cherries, and sliced dried apricots into a medium saucepan with the one cup of pure black cherry juice.

  • Bring that to a boil, then reduce to a simmer to soften the dried fruits for 10-15 minutes or until soft.
  • Empty the can of cherries into saucepan with the dried fruits, BUT reserve three tablespoons of juice to mix with the cornstarch later.

  • Return to simmer and add in one tablespoon of the lemon juice and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar depending on how sweet you want your pie filling.
  • While the fruits are simmering, mix the three tablespoons of cornstarch with the reserved three tablespoons of canned cherry juice and whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved.
  • Finally, add the cornstarch mix to the fruit mix and reduce the heat, stirring until the mix thickens to the point where it will adhere for a few seconds to the spoon when turned over upside-down
  • Set aside and let cool while you work on the pie crust!
Now for the crust part of the pie! This is the part where you get to pick your own adventure: You can either use a full cover crust lid with slits for venting, or you can make a lattice. For this recipe, we chose a lattice because it's pretty and honestly, who doesn't love a challenge? If George Washington can lead American to independence, then we should be able to make a lattice pie crust topping!

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  • Bring both pie crusts to room temperature.
  • Using a 9" pie pan (not deep dish), line the pan with one crust, allowing the excess to hang over the edge for now. Do NOT trim it!
  • Place this pie pan in the fridge while you work on the lattice parts.
  • Using a dough cutting wheel or a knife or a pizza slicers--whatever tool you wish--cut the other pie crust into strips 1" wide.
  • Take the pie pan out of the fridge and using a spoon or a ladle, fill the raw pie crust with all of the filling in the saucepan. Smooth it out on top with the back of the spoon and make sure it is level and fills the crust to the edges. 
 
  • Now this is the tricky part: The Weave. You can make this lattice anyway you want. We like the over-and-under weave because we love to see if we can pull it off.
  • To do that, anchor five strips to one side of the pie crust, spaced approximately 1/2' apart, using cold water and your fingers to cement the dough strips to the edge of the pie crust. You should have these strips running along one quarter of the circumference of the pie crust.
  • Anchor four strips to the other quarter of the pie crust, running as perpendicular to the initial strips as possible. This will make two lanes of strips intersecting each other.
  • Working with two intersecting strips at a time, lace them together using an over-and-under alternating pattern, anchoring the opposite end of each strip with cold water and your fingertips.
  • Once you have the full lattice complete, carefully wrap the remaining overlap of dough up and over on top of the anchor points of the strips to hide them.
  • Again, using your fingertips and cold water, smooth out the wrapped dough and make it presentable with as few seams as possible.

Now, bake that sucker!

  • Place the pie in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is cooked fully.

  • If necessary, place a baking pie ring or aluminum foil around the crust edges towards the end of cooking to prevent burning.
  • Remove, let cool for thirty minutes or more, and serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

  • Enjoy and remember, Bernadette knows best! Happy President's Weekend and Happy Valentine's Day!

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