Cherry Apple Pie is one of my best creations. My stepfather loves cherry pie and I make a great apple pie (courtesy Martha Stewart), so to appease everyone, I embarked on the great Cherry Apple Pie adventure. Taking what I know about apple pie basics and a quick read of several cherry pie recipes, I came up with a delectable, crowd-pleasing dessert.
I use Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee pie crust recipe and I must tell you, do not follow the pictures in the Martha Stewart Baking Book. It's true that you don't want to pulse the dough for very long, but for the best-tasting crust ever, you need to remove the dough while its still sandy and barely holds together. The mandatory freeze time makes it easier to roll out the dough and bring all the components together. This method is messier and harder, but the taste is worth it. Additionally, if you have a dough cutter, it takes longer, but works better than the food processor.
I don't have an exact recipe for my Cherry Apple Pie. I'm experienced enough with pies that I can just feel my way about it. Basically, I use about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of frozen cherries. I cook a little less than half down in a pot with some sugar. Once the cherries have popped, I add the remaining cherries until just warm. I cut up 2 to 3 apples and mix in a bowl with some flour (about 2 tablespoons), cinnamon, a little sugar, maybe some brown sugar and some lemon juice. Basic apple pie. I combine the cherry and apple mixture, dot with butter, assemble lattice top and cook until bubbly and golden brown.
The pie comes out delicious. The apples soak up all the cherry flavor and adds a much-needed thickness to the filling. Sanding sugar sprinkled on top before baking adds a crunch, if that's what you're into. For smaller gatherings, I have two small pie dishes that I use. Truthfully, one pie is big enough for two people, especially if ice cream is involved.
I plan to attempt this recipe this weekend with fresh cherries (last week of cherries at the Farmer's Market), IF I can get my hands on a cherry pitter.
Rob was lucky enough to find a Cherry Stoner at Raleys. Better and faster than a pitter, he was able to pit 2 pounds of cherries in no time. Using fresh cherries and apples from the Farmer's Market turned out great and it was a wonderful Fourth of July dessert. The one thing I take away from this pie is that my Emile Henry pie dish is huge and I could have used another half pound of cherries. Yup, that would be 2 1/2 pounds of fresh cherries plus two apples. And, because I had so much fun making this pie, more pics to follow.
