TART/SOUR FRESH CHERRY PIE

I had some cherries, that I didn't use yesterday on the jam, left, so I made Dave a cherry pie.  He loves them.  It was raining out this morning too, so good excuse to not get outside and do the work I was supposed to be doing yesterday, but didn't.  I have made this recipe before with canned sour cherries, but never the fresh off the tree, but thinking/hoping it will be the same and not too sour.  Those are supposed to be unsweetened, so..it's baking while I write this, and it smells great so far!

The recipe I made for this is in the "Betty's Pies" favorite recipes cookbook from up on the North Shore,  with a few additions of my own.  It's a favorite of ours for pie and they have some good meals too. 

Here's the recipe!

TART/FRESH CHERRY PIE:

2 pie crusts (I made my recipe that is on this blog-just put "pie" in the search bar on top and it should come up for you)

Filling:
3-4 cups tart red cherries, washed and pitted or 2 cans tart red cherries drained.
1/4 tsp red food coloring (optional, but makes it pretty)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
2-1/2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 tsp salt
butter (about 1 Tablespoon)

put one pie crust in a 9 inch pie pan.

COMBINE cherries, food coloring, almond extract, sugar, flour and salt in a bowl; mix well.  Spoon cherry mixture into pasty lined pie pan.  Dot with butter.

Roll out the other half of the pastry dough and either cover the cherry mixture or cut in strips and do a lattice crust.  seal the edges all around. if using the whole crust make slits in the top to vent. sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  cool on rack and get out the ice cream.