The Cherry Pie That Started It All — From the Oven

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A slice of cherry pie on a painted plate, fresh cherries scattered around — The slice that began the chapter

Tart cherries, a whisper of almond, an afternoon with nowhere else to be. It is not a difficult pie, only an unhurried one — the kind of thing worth doing on a quiet day. Let it cool completely before you cut it. A warm cherry pie is a beautiful, impatient mess; a cooled one slices clean.

Begins with the house Pie Crust — made and chilled ahead.

Ingredients

For the filling

5 cups tart cherries (fresh or frozen)
¾ cup sugar (up to 1 cup for a sweeter pie)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp butter, for dotting
1 egg, beaten, for the wash

Method

Roll out the bottom crust and settle it into the pie dish.
Combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and almond extract.
Pour the filling into the crust.
Dot the top with butter.
Roll out the top crust, lay it over the filling, trim, and crimp the edges.
Cut a few steam vents, then brush with the egg wash.
Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
Reduce to 350°F and bake 35–40 minutes more, until the juices bubble thickly through the vents.

A slice of cherry pie served with a scoop of ice cream — Cooled, then served slowly

"Let it cool completely before slicing. The almond is quiet but it's the whole secret — don't leave it out."