Holiday recipe swap: cherry cobbler pie

A cherry pie so good everyone will forget their political opinions at Thanksgiving dinner.

I love the idea of sharing a recipe so delicious that family members will come together and just set aside all the political discussion for a few minutes at least!

This cherry pie makes everyone forget what they were talking about when they take that first bite.

Cherry Cobbler Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the pie crust:
1 cup flour
pinch salt
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup water

1. Cut the butter into slices and place in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Use an electric mixer to combine all the ingredients so they look like crumbs. Then add the water a little at a time while using a fork to mix it it. When it forms a cohesive ball, it’s ready to be rolled out.

2. When the crust is rolled out large enough, place it in the pie pan. Crimp the edges or cut off the excess if you are lucky enough to have that much extra dough. Set aside while you make the filling.

Notes: Honestly, this takes patience. I place the dough on a floured surface such as a pastry cloth or board. Then I roll it out in all directions to make a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of my pie pan. When the dough cracks, I patch it up and keep going. I have even balled it up again and started over. The experts say that’s a no-no, but because this crust is so buttery, it’s never affected the flakiness or taste. The main focus of this pie is the cherries and topping – not the crust. However, this crust really compliments the other two parts of the pie. 

For the cherry filling:
4 cups pitted cherries, frozen or fresh- a combination of tart and sweet
1 cup sugar – if using mostly tart cherries add another 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
dash of almond extract
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice only if using mostly sweet cherries

1. Place the cherries in a medium sized pan, cover, and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. This releases the juice. Then add sugar and cornstarch. Also add the extract and lemon juice if using.

2. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium low. Stir often until the mixture thickens enough to cling to the spoon. This takes about 10 minutes but don’t walk away – the bottom can burn if not watched closely.

3. When it’s nice and thick, spoon it into the pie shell and set aside while you make the cobbler topping.

For the cobbler topping:
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 stick butter

1. Mix flour, sugar, and vanilla together. Spread the dry mixture evenly over the surface of the filling. Cut the butter into slices. Arrange the butter slices on top of the dry mixture.

2. Bake the pie in a preheated 375 degrees F. for 1 hour. The topping should get nice and brown, but will be uneven in coloration in some spots.

3. Allow the pie to cool before slicing.

To participate in Stir It Up!'s Holiday Recipe Swap, send your favorite recipe and photo to: food@csps.com