Fresh out of the oven....
I'm so excited this Sunday is my Selection for Sweet Melissa's Sunday baking group. It really was not hard for me to choose this recipe. When I got the book this was the first recipe that caught my eye. Not only does my family love cherry pie, they love pistachios. In the write up in her book, Melissa said it is a best seller at her shop and it's her favorite pie. I thought how could you go wrong!
My grandma taught me how to make pie crust when I was 10. I have been making my own crusts and pies for years. Im to the point I can do it without looking at a recipe.
This was the hardest part ....getting all of those pistachios out of the shells....
I was impressed with the crumble topping...
I use these tart cherries for every cherry pie I make..they are the best!
Cherries in the crust ready for the oven.....
Enjoy this recipe! It can be found also in the Sweet Melissa cookbook on page 146-147. The Flaky Pie Dough recipe can be found on page 137.
For the pie crust
1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp cold vegetable shortening
6-8 tablespoons ice water
To make the Dough
(Melissa suggests putting the flour and salt in a bowl and pop it in the freezer. I do not read how long she advises. I would put it in until its super cold).
1. Take the flour/salt bowl from the freezer. Whisk together. Take the butter from the freezer and , using your hands quickly drop each piece separately into the flour mixture(don't hole a lot of them in your hand at one time or you'll melt them). Every now and then using your fingers toss the butter pieces into the flour so that each piece of cold butte is covered with flour.
2. Using a pastry blender, (I use a fork) cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of large peas.
5. Now, take the shortening from the freezer and, using your fingertips, scoop out little pieces and toss them into the flour with your fingers as you go(just like you did with the butter chunks).
4. Using the pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until the shortening and the butter are the size for medium to small peas.
5. Now, the water, If you added any ice cubes to the water, pull them out now. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture with your fingers. Pour half of the ice-cold water into the well. Use a fork to gently pull the flour from the sides of the bowl into the well.
Keep turning the bowl and pulling the flour in. The dough should start to come together, Now, add half of the remaining water and continue to pull toward the middle. When the dough as enough water, it will hold together when you squeeze it in the palm of your hand. If it is holding together, stop. If it is not quite there yet, add the remaining water and toss until does.
To roll the dough
1. When the dough is chilled through, lightly flour a work surface. Unwrap the dough disk, lightly flour the top, and, using a rolling pin, press gently on the dough, from the middle upward, and then the middle downward. Turn the dough disk a quarter turn and repeat the light pressing process. Add more flour if needed to prevent sticking.
2. The dough should now be round, flatter version of the original dough disk. Sprinkle lightly with more flour if necessary, then gently roll the dough so that it is an inch wider all around then it was. Make a quarter turn , lifting the dough if it is sticking and lightly flouring the work surface below. Repeat this process until the round is roughly 12 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Slide in onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and chill it in the fridge until you are ready to prebake or assemble your pie.
3. When you are ready to bake the dough, transfer it to a pie plate by sliding both palms under the dough and gently lifting it and placing it down over the center of the pie plate. Gently press the dough into the pie plate , being careful not to stretch it. Patch and rips or tears by pressing the dough together with your fingers.
4. Crimp the edges and put in the refrigerator to rest and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Here is the Pie recipe!
For the Pistachio Crumble
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole oats, ground to a flour in a food processor(yielding 1/2 cup oat flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup shelled unsalted whole pistachios, coarsely ground in a food processor or chopped medium fine by hand
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the Sour Cherry Filling
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 pound frozen sour cherries, partially thawed
To prepare the pie crust
Roll out the dough into a round 14 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Gently fit into ta 10 inch pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
To make the pistachio crumble
1. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, oat flour, sugar, Cinnamon, salt, and pistachios.
2. Stir in the melted butter and mix gently to combine.
Before you make the filling
Place a rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
To make the Cherry Filling
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, place the cherries and sprinkle the flour mixture over the top; mix gently to combine. (If you are using fresh cherries, the natural sweetness can vary. Tate the mixture to see if you need more sugar that is called for.)
3. Pour the cherries into the unbaked pie shell.
To complete the Pie
1. Sprinkle the pistachio crumble evenly over the top of the cherries.
2. Place the pie plate on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. or until the juices are bubbling and thick. Remove to a rack to cool to room temp. before serving.
I thought this pie was fairly simple to make. Taking the pistachios out of the shell was the hardest part. My family and I love this pie. I will definitely make this one again!
This was the hardest part ....getting all of those pistachios out of the shells....
I was impressed with the crumble topping...I use these tart cherries for every cherry pie I make..they are the best! Cherries in the crust ready for the oven.....
Enjoy this recipe! It can be found also in the Sweet Melissa cookbook on page 146-147. The Flaky Pie Dough recipe can be found on page 137.
For the pie crust
1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp cold vegetable shortening
6-8 tablespoons ice water
To make the Dough
(Melissa suggests putting the flour and salt in a bowl and pop it in the freezer. I do not read how long she advises. I would put it in until its super cold).
1. Take the flour/salt bowl from the freezer. Whisk together. Take the butter from the freezer and , using your hands quickly drop each piece separately into the flour mixture(don't hole a lot of them in your hand at one time or you'll melt them). Every now and then using your fingers toss the butter pieces into the flour so that each piece of cold butte is covered with flour.
2. Using a pastry blender, (I use a fork) cut the butter into the flour until the butter is the size of large peas.
5. Now, take the shortening from the freezer and, using your fingertips, scoop out little pieces and toss them into the flour with your fingers as you go(just like you did with the butter chunks).
4. Using the pastry blender, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until the shortening and the butter are the size for medium to small peas.
5. Now, the water, If you added any ice cubes to the water, pull them out now. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture with your fingers. Pour half of the ice-cold water into the well. Use a fork to gently pull the flour from the sides of the bowl into the well.
Keep turning the bowl and pulling the flour in. The dough should start to come together, Now, add half of the remaining water and continue to pull toward the middle. When the dough as enough water, it will hold together when you squeeze it in the palm of your hand. If it is holding together, stop. If it is not quite there yet, add the remaining water and toss until does.
To roll the dough
1. When the dough is chilled through, lightly flour a work surface. Unwrap the dough disk, lightly flour the top, and, using a rolling pin, press gently on the dough, from the middle upward, and then the middle downward. Turn the dough disk a quarter turn and repeat the light pressing process. Add more flour if needed to prevent sticking.
2. The dough should now be round, flatter version of the original dough disk. Sprinkle lightly with more flour if necessary, then gently roll the dough so that it is an inch wider all around then it was. Make a quarter turn , lifting the dough if it is sticking and lightly flouring the work surface below. Repeat this process until the round is roughly 12 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Slide in onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and chill it in the fridge until you are ready to prebake or assemble your pie.
3. When you are ready to bake the dough, transfer it to a pie plate by sliding both palms under the dough and gently lifting it and placing it down over the center of the pie plate. Gently press the dough into the pie plate , being careful not to stretch it. Patch and rips or tears by pressing the dough together with your fingers.
4. Crimp the edges and put in the refrigerator to rest and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Here is the Pie recipe!
For the Pistachio Crumble
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole oats, ground to a flour in a food processor(yielding 1/2 cup oat flour)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup shelled unsalted whole pistachios, coarsely ground in a food processor or chopped medium fine by hand
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the Sour Cherry Filling
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 pound frozen sour cherries, partially thawed
To prepare the pie crust
Roll out the dough into a round 14 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Gently fit into ta 10 inch pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
To make the pistachio crumble
1. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, oat flour, sugar, Cinnamon, salt, and pistachios.
2. Stir in the melted butter and mix gently to combine.
Before you make the filling
Place a rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
To make the Cherry Filling
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, place the cherries and sprinkle the flour mixture over the top; mix gently to combine. (If you are using fresh cherries, the natural sweetness can vary. Tate the mixture to see if you need more sugar that is called for.)
3. Pour the cherries into the unbaked pie shell.
To complete the Pie
1. Sprinkle the pistachio crumble evenly over the top of the cherries.
2. Place the pie plate on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes. or until the juices are bubbling and thick. Remove to a rack to cool to room temp. before serving.
I thought this pie was fairly simple to make. Taking the pistachios out of the shell was the hardest part. My family and I love this pie. I will definitely make this one again!