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"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Cherry Pie (Ad Hoc at Home)

A classic double-crust cherry pie filled with fresh sweet cherries and a concentrated cherry-vanilla filling. Puréeing a portion of the cherries intensifies the fruit flavor while leaving plenty of whole cherries for texture.



Yield: One 9- to 10-inch pie

Prep Time: About 45 minutes, plus chilling and cooling
Cook Time: 40–50 minutes

Basic Pie Crust

Ingredients:

  • 2½ cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
  • About 5 tablespoons ice water

Instructions:

  1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
  2. Add the chilled butter and toss to coat with flour. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the pieces are no larger than peas.
  3. Drizzle ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) ice water over the mixture. Using a fork, mix until the dough just holds together when pinched. Add the remaining tablespoon of water if the dough is too dry.
  4. Gently knead the dough just until it comes together and is smooth.
  5. Divide the dough in half, making one piece slightly larger than the other. Shape each into a 1-inch-thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
  6. Lightly flour the larger disk and roll into a 13- to 14-inch round, about ⅛ inch thick. Fold the dough in half and transfer it to a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Gently ease the dough into the bottom and sides.
  7. Roll the second disk into a 12-inch round, about ⅛ inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  8. Refrigerate both crusts for 15 minutes while preparing to assemble the pie.

Cherry Filling

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 7 cups sweet cherries, such as Bing, pitted
  • ¾ to 1 cup granulated sugar, depending on the sweetness of the cherries
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

For Assembly:

  • 1 egg, beaten, for brushing the crust
  • Granulated sugar for sprinkling, optional

Instructions:

  1. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stirring until completely dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Place 5 cups of the cherries in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Place the remaining 2 cups cherries in a high-powered blender and purée. A few small pieces of cherry are fine. Taste the purée to determine the sweetness of the fruit.
  4. Combine the cherry purée, ¾ cup sugar for sweeter cherries or up to 1 cup for tart cherries, and the vanilla bean paste, if using, in a medium saucepan.
  5. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until reduced to approximately 1¼–1½ cups.
  6. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring constantly, add the cornstarch slurry.
  7. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, stirring continuously, until it becomes translucent again and the cornstarch is completely cooked.
  8. Remove from the heat. If using vanilla extract rather than vanilla bean paste, stir it in now.
  9. Transfer the filling to a bowl and allow it to cool completely.

Assemble & Bake

  1. Position racks in the bottom and center of the oven. Preheat to 400°F.
  2. Stir the cooled cherry purée mixture into the reserved 5 cups of whole cherries.
  3. Pour the cherry filling into the chilled bottom pie crust.
  4. If the top crust is too firm to work with, allow it to stand at room temperature for a few minutes.
  5. Lightly brush the rim of the bottom crust with beaten egg.
  6. Place the top crust over the filling. Press the top and bottom crusts together to seal. Trim any excess dough and crimp or pinch the edge.
  7. Brush the top crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar, if desired.
  8. Cut several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
  9. Place the pie on the bottom oven rack and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
  10. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, move the pie to the center rack, and continue baking for 20–30 minutes, until the crust is deeply golden and the cherry filling is bubbling.
  11. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing, giving the filling time to set.

Tip: Put a foil-lined baking sheet on a rack beneath the pie to catch any bubbling cherry juices. For the cleanest slices, allow the finished pie to cool for several hours before cutting.

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