Sheet Pan Cherry Pie
When it’s cool to be square.
There’s something extra special about cherry pie and its combination of juicy, tart fruit and flaky, buttery crust made from scratch. This recipe puts a twist on things with the addition of almond emulsion, nutmeg, and black pepper that creates a warm flavour that feels perfect for the onset of autumn. There’s also something rustic about using a rectangular baking dish to create a dessert that makes every bite that much sweeter.
Because this is a scratch recipe, you’ll need about an hour to make your pie crust. You can also start the dough and rest it overnight, or prepare the crust in the afternoon for a perfect wrap to an evening dinner.
You can also make this recipe with frozen or fresh cherries, just be sure to put the cherries when using fresh. And lastly, I can attest to the durability of freezing portioned leftovers and warming later without any impact on the flavour or quality of the pie. That being said, who ever heard of leftover pie? — CFG
ingredients
For Pie Crust:
3 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp finely ground sea salt
1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes
8 - 12 tbsp of ice cold water (plus more as needed)
For Finishing:
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp of milk or cream
Raw sugar for sprinkling on crust (optional)
For Pie Filling:
7-8 cups of pitted sweet cherries, sliced in half (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cups of granulated sugar
3 tbsp of cornstarch
2 tsp of almond emulsion (extract to substitute)
1/2 rounded tsp of nutmeg
1/4 rounded tsp of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp finely ground sea salt
Directions
To prepare the crust, place 3 3/4 cups of flour, 2 tbsp of granulated sugar, and 2 tsp of finely ground sea salt in a food processor and pulse a few times until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Cut 1 1/2 cups of chilled, unsalted butter into 1/2” cubes and lightly dust with a few pinches of flour. (This keeps the butter from sticking together.) Once the butter is cut and dusted, chill for 10-15 minutes.
Prepare a small bowl of ice water and have a 1tbsp measuring spoon ready.
Place the chilled butter into the food processor with the flour mixture and pulse until the butter is cut into the flour. (This could take anywhere from 5-10 pulses depending on your machine and how long you hold the pulse button.) The flour-butter mixture should be coarse with some pea-sized pieces of butter visible. Be sure not to over pulse the mixture.
Next, sprinkle 4 tbsp of ice water (no ice) over the mixture and then lightly pulse 4-5 times. Keep adding 1-2 tbsp of water and then pulsing until a rough dough is formed.
Note: The dough will lightly hold together once enough water is added with a simple pinch test. If the dough easily crumbles when you pinch it together, add 1 tbsp of ice water and pulse 1-2 times to reach the desired consistency. Repeat as needed. (I have added as much as 10-12 tbsp depending on humidity and my kitchen temperature.) Be careful not to add too much water or to over-pulse the dough.
Remove the dough from the food processor and form a rough ball, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. (You can also chill the dough as long as overnight — just be sure to thoroughly wrap.)
Once ready to make the pie, remove the dough ball from the fridge, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured surface.
Cut the dough ball slightly off-centre so one half is a bit larger than the other. (The larger half will be the bottom crust.)
Roll the larger half to a 14”x 11” triangle and then place it in a 9”x 13” sheet pan so the dough hangs over the rim of the edges.
Place the pan back in the fridge to chill.
Place 7-8 cups of pitted sweet cherries in a bowl. (Frozen cherries should be fully thawed, drained, and patted dry with paper towel to eliminate as much moisture as possible.)
Add to the bowl, 3/4 cups of granulated sugar, 3 tbsp of cornstarch, 2 tsp of almond emulsion (extract to substitute), 1/2 rounded tsp of nutmeg, 1/4 rounded tsp of fresh ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp of finely ground sea salt.
Gently still the contents of the bowl until all ingredients are fully incorporated, then transfer mixture to the chilled and prepared baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 375F.
To make the lattice top for the pie, roll the remaining dough into a 14”x11” rectangle and then cut the dough into ~1” strips lengthwise for a total of 15 strips.
Note: You can reform any dough that doesn’t meet your measurements and roll/cut it again to reach the desired shape.
Starting in the middle of the pie. lay 6 strips evenly spaced apart lengthwise across the top of the pan (with edges hanging over). Weave the remaining 9 strips in perpendicular fashion using an over-under technique to form a lattice top. (You can also find a great 2min tutorial here if you need help making a lattice crust.)
Trim away any excess dough and discard trimmings. Gently pinch together the edges of the strips around the pan to form a seal between the top and bottom crusts.
Next, brush the dough with an egg wash mixture of 1 egg yok and 1 tbsp of cream/milk.
Sprinkle a few pinches of raw sugar over the top of the dough (optional).
Place the pie in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and the cherry filling is gently bubbling. Remove from oven and cool slightly or until ready to serve.
Serve (a la mode if you like) and enjoy!
