How to Make Cherry Pie

Cherry pie is one of the easiest pies to make. You can make them with canned cherries just available in a grocery store. Aside from being easy, it's also healthy. Cherries contain vitamins C and A, bioflavonoids, melatonin and anthocyanins, known to contain natural antioxidants that combat free radicals which speed up the aging process. Here's an easy cherry pie formula you can try.

For the cherry pie crust:

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS

* 2 1/4 cups of flour
* 2 tablespoons of sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon of salt
* 8 tablespoons of frozen butter cut into half-inch cubes
* 4 tablespoons of small, frozen pieces of vegetable shortening
* 8 tablespoons of small pieces of cold cream cheese
* 1/3 cup of ice-cold water

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt and butter cubes thoroughly. Add vegetable shortening and cream cheese. Continue mixing until you get bumps the size of peas.
3. Add water and mix until thick. Pinch the dough and see that it holds.
4. Roll the dough into a ball, divide it into halves and flatten. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
5. Take the disks out. Put one on a floured outside and roll it into a 14-inch circle. Fold the disk in half and fit it in a pie pan. Put the pan in the refrigerator.
6. Roll the other disk into a 12-inch circle.

For the cherry pie filling:

* 3 (16 ounce) cans of pitted cherries
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1/4 cup of potato starch
* 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
* 1 tablespoon of small pieces of butter
* 1 lightly beaten egg white
* 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar

Preparation:

1. Separate the pitted cherries from the juice.
2. Take the 12-inch dough circle out of the refrigerator.
3. Put 1 cup of cherry juice in a saucepan, add 1 cup of sugar, the potato starch and add in a pinch of salt. Mix them and cook over medium heat. Continue mixing to preclude accumulations in the mixture. When the mixture's thick, let it cool and pour it over the pitted cherries in a bowl. Add almond excerpt and stir.
4. Pour the filling into the pie shell and dot with butter. Seal this with the 12-inch dough circle and crimp. Put some slits on the top crust or make a lattice-top.
5. Put the pie in foil, place it in the bottom rack and bake for 20 minutes or until the crust turns light brown. Take the cherry pie out, brush some egg white on it, sprinkle with sugar and continue baking for 20 minutes more or until the pie turns golden brown. Take the pie out of the oven and cover the edges with foil. Bake for someone else 20 minutes or until the filling starts to bubble.

After baking, allow the cherry pie to cool before serving.

How to Make Cherry Pie

12 OUNCES EQUALS HOW MANY CUPS