Cherry Pie and Damn Fine Coffee

So yesterday it was Pi Day. There was I, making my very first cherry pie, and I didn't even realise it was International Pi(e) Day. The rest of the blogging world had gone crazy with their amazing array of sweet or savoury pies and mine was dutifully sat in the fridge ready for its moment of baking. So here am I, a day late, sharing my Cherry Pie with you all. If you want to know the real inspiration for trying my hand at this ruby red creation, it was all down to the excitement about the new series of Twin Peaks. I mean - yay! Ever since that final scene where Agent Dale Cooper smacked his head against the mirror, uttering, "Where's Annie?" in a maniacal voice, I've been longing to know what comes next. And I've ALWAYS wanted to try the miraculous cherry pie from the Double R Diner with their damn fine coffee. 

So just a few *ahem* years since I watched it, I have finally got around to making my very own cherry pie. I think I might just have become a pie addict! The cherry filling was a bit of a mistake - as in, I wanted to buy tinned cherries but when I got to the supermarket, my only option was tinned cherry fruit filling. I expected this to be cherries in liquid but it was more like cherries in a glutinous gel. It actually tastes pretty good.

The pastry is wonderfully straightforward which I love and you roll it out straightaway rather than waiting for it to chill. You can make it by hand, but I made mine in the mixer. It's simply flour, sugar and salt mixed with small cubes of cold butter; then this is mixed with water to make your pastry. To make the lattice stripes, I have a cutter (I got this from Tala but there are lots of different ones available) but you can easily use a knife and ruler and make straight lines if you don't have the cutter. I also decided to give my pie an air of romance so used a heart cutter with the leftover pastry to make my border.

So you divide your pastry in half and the first half lines your dish. The filling it added and the the top lattice is woven on to the top. The pie needs to chill for at least half an hour (mine went in the fridge overnight) and then it's ready to bake.

I really love the bubbling cherry sauce which peaks up through the golden lattice when your pie has finished baking. And it's absolutely delicious served warm fresh from the oven. 

Whether or not you're a Twin Peaks fan, whether or not you ever hankered after a slice of the Double R Diner's most famous cherry pie, or whether or not you actually had a clue what was going on in the show for the whole two seasons, this pie is super yummy. It may be spring here, but that doesn't stop the bitter wind blowing and the -2 degree temperatures so there's nothing better than curling up in front of the fire with a slice of it.

To quote Agent Dale Copper, "This must be where pies go when they die" 💕💕

Cherry Pie

adapted from Williams-Sonoma recipe for Cherry Pie

Makes one 25cm pie

Ingredients

• 400G PLAIN FLOUR
• 2 TBSP CASTER SUGAR
• 1/2 TSP SALT
• 250G UNSALTED BUTTER (straight from the fridge and cut into little cubes)
• 6 TBSP COLD WATER
• 2 TINS OF CHERRY FRUIT FILLING

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius (fan)
2. To make your pastry, first mix the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a freestanding mixer
3. Cut your butter into small cubes, add this to the bowl and make sure that each piece is coated with flour
4. Then mix together with the paddle attachment until the texture looks like cornmeal - I usually finish it off with my fingertips to make sure that each piece of butter is no larger than a pea
5. Add the water and mix again slowly until the dough comes together and forms a ball
6. Divide your dough in half and put half onto a lightly floured surface
7. Flatten the disc with your hand and then roll it out until it's around 30cm in diameter adding a little extra flour if needed
8. Immediately place this into your pie dish leaving around 2cm of pastry overhang
9. Then take the other half of the dough and roll it out into a rectangular shape around 30cm by 20cm
10. Cut the dough into strips (using a ribbon cutter if you want scalloped edges)
11. Put your cherry filling into your pie and make sure it's spread evenly
12. Then build your lattice onto the top of your pie with your strips overhanging the edge of the pie dish
13. You can either fold the edges of the pastry back over the edge and crimp the to seal the pie, but I chose to cut the pastry flush with the edge of the dish
14. Cut out small heart shapes (any shape would do here -- leaves, fish, flowers, etc) and after placing a tiny amount of water on the back of each heart, place them around the edge of the pie dish
15. Chill your pie in the fridge for at least half an hour
16. Bake your pie for 15 minutes
17. Decrease your oven temperature to 160 degrees celsius (fan) and bake for a further 45 minutes
18. Your pie's ready when the crust is golden brown and the cherry filling is bubbling up through the lattice
19. Enjoy warm from the oven with a cup of freshly brewed, (damn) fine coffee :)