EXPERT'S CLASSIC CHERRY PIE

PHWOAAAAAR this is the ultimate cherry pie recipe and the only one you'll ever need. Make the pastry from scratch, make a luxurious, cherry filling and top it all off with that classic lattice that's totally iconic.

Ingredients

260 g plain flour

40 g ground almonds

30 g caster sugar

1 pinch salt

180 g unsalted butter chilled

1 large egg

2 tbsp water

600 g cherries

150 g cherry jam

100 ml water

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

25 ml almond liqueur

20 g ground almonds

2 tbsp cornflour

Method

Place the flour, 40g ground almonds, caster sugar and a pinch of salt into a Compact Food Processor with Knife Blade attachment. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the food processor. Pulse to combine the ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Lightly beat the egg and add about 2-3 tbsp of the egg along with 2 tbsp of cold water. Save the rest of the beaten egg.
Bring the mixture together until it forms a smooth dough. Split into two and flatten slightly. Cover each in Cling Film and place in the fridge for at least an hour to rest.
Slice or break the cherries in half and remove the stones. Set aside in a bowl. In a medium saucepan over a medium heat add the cherry jam and 100ml of water. Stir in the ground nutmeg, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, almond liqueur and 20g ground almonds until well combined.
In a cup add the cornflour and mix with 2 tablespoon of cold water to make a paste. Add the paste to the saucepan along with the fresh cherries and stir until the mixture thickens. Chill and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 200℃ and grab a 21cm pie dish. Take one of the discs out of the fridge, unwrap and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/2cm and so it's about 2cm larger than the pie dish (the pastry will quickly warm and become difficult to work with, so try to work fast… if it does break, you can always patch it up!).
Using a floured rolling pin, transfer the rolled pastry into the pie dish, lift and tuck the pastry into the edges all around the dish to line it. Use a small knife to trim off any excess pastry and place it in the fridge.
Roll out the remaining dough to 1/2cm thick on a sheet of baking paper, then use a pizza cutter (crinkle cutter if you have one) to cut out 2cm wide strips. Keep them to one side for now.
Fill the pie base with the chilled cherry filling. Brush the remainder of the beaten egg around the rim of the pie and then arrange your pastry strips into a lattice on top of the pie. Trim off the excess pastry.
Bake for 20 minutes then reduce the heat to 180℃, cover with tin foil so you don't burn the pie and cook for a further 35-40 minutes until the filling is piping hot and the pastry is a crisp golden brown. Serves 8