Since its cherry season we thought it only appropriate to make a cherry pie for our on-line cooking class.  And, not just any cherry pie, but a lattice-topped pie!  Sounds impossible, especially considering that our crust is gluten-free, but it’s not.  I do want to say that if you do not have patience, baking gluten-free pies is probably not the dessert for you.  Pie crust is a little tricky even when it’s not gluten-free, but add the element of wheat-free/gluten-free to the crust and you end up with a more difficult to handle dough – again, not impossible – but more difficult, nonetheless.

To start with, you need to decide what sort of gluten-free flour mixture to use.  We have had great success with the Gluten Free Pantry’s Country French Bread & Pizza flour mix.  This flour already has the binders mixed in so you really can use it as a straight substitution for wheat flour.  (To purchase this product visit www.glutenfree.com).  You can try other flour combinations, but in my experience, it’s hit and miss as to the end result.  The reason we use the above mix is it always comes out as expected.  So that said, let’s get started:

Ingredients you will need:

For Pie Crust:

• 2-1/2 cups gf flour*
• 12 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup cold vegetable shortening
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5-8 Tablespoons ice water, more or less as needed

For Filling:

• 1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar, divided
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 cups (about 2 pounds) whole sour cherries
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon milk

*see above for which flour combination we used.

Make the Pie Crust:

Step 1:

Place the gf flour and salt in a medium bowl.

Step 2:

Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut the butter and shortening into the flour and salt mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Alternatively you can also place the flour in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer and add the butter and shortening, then pulse or mix until the coarse crumbs result.

Step 3:

Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and mix until just incorporated.  Continue to add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a dough that sticks together when pressed between your fingers.  Form the dough into 2 balls, and then flatten them into disks.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Make the filling:

Step 4:

Pit the cherries.  If you don’t have a cherry pitter, take a meat mallet and lightly tap each cherry until it splits down the center.  Then just remove the loosened pit and stem.

Step 5:

Whisk 1 cup of sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the cherries, lemon juice and vanilla and stir to coat.  Set aside.

Step 6:

Assemble the Pie:

Step 7:

Step 7:  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly gf floured surface.  (We use an extra large Silpat – a sort of “rubber” non-stick mat – which really helps prevent the dough from sticking to the bottom surface.)  Lightly flour the surface of the dough with gf flour.  Roll one disc into a large round, about 12-14 inches in diameter.  Carefully transfer to a deep 9-inch pie dish, trim to within ½ inch of the pan.  (If the dough breaks or cracks, don’t freak out – just patch it where need be and move on.)  Set aside.

Step 8:

Step 8:  Fill the pie crust with the cherry mixture and dot the top with butter.

Step 9:

Step 9:  Roll out the second disc of dough as in step 7.  Cut about 10 ¾ inch wide strips from the dough round.  Carefully transfer the strips to the pie.  Lay one set of strips one way then turn the pie and lay the other set of strips crosswise over the first.  (Again, if it cracks or breaks, just position the pieces carefully so they go in a full line across the pie.  This happened to me and once I baked it the bubbling cherry juices covered up my broken pieces.)

Step 10:

Step 10:  As best you can, fold the bottom crust over the ends and crimp the edges to seal.  Lightly brush the top of the crust with milk.  Sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar.

Step 11:

Step 11:  Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F.  Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. and bake for 1 hour or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.  Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely.

Step 12:

Enjoy!

- Chef Jessica