Cherry Pie

Pie Filling

1 Jar     Pie Cherries
2 ½T   Tapioca
1 c       sugar
¼ t       salt
¼ t       red food coloring
¼ t       almond extract
1 t        butter

Combine tapioca, sugar, and salt. Drain cherries. Reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid. Add the drained cherries and 1/2 cup liquid to the tapioca mixture. Add food coloring and almond extract. Stir and let stand.
Line pie plate with pastry. Turn cherry filling into prepared pie shell. Dot with butter. Place upper pie crust over filling. Seal and flute edges. If desired, cut leftover strips of pastry to make stems and leaves and arrange on top crust. Cut small vents in the crust to let steam escape. Bake at 400° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until syrup boils with heavy bubbles.

Basic Pie Crust

dough for three 9" crusts (jamie's note: I made 2 pies with this recipe 2 top crusts and 2 bottoms)
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons fine white sugar (optional)
1 cup chilled butter
1/2 cup chilled shortening
1/2-3/4 cup ice cold water

Prepare 3 large pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper by misting lightly with baking spray.

Mix the flour, salt and sugar, if using. Cut the butter into fine chunks with a knife. Shake into the bowl with the flour. Drop the shortening in by teaspoons. Using the tips of your fingers, quickly work the fat into the flour, pinching and squeezing and rolling each piece of butter lightly.

When most of the butter and shortening is no larger than a large pea or lima bean, stop. Some chunks will still be irregular, but it should mostly be all rubbed together. All fat should be coated with flour.

In drips and drops, pour in the water, stopping after the first half cup. Quickly with your hands try to draw the dough together into a ball. If big clumps still fall off or crumble, add water just until it comes together and you can pick the whole lump up in your hands. Do not mix it any more than this - just draw it together gently.

Separate into three pieces and gently press into thick disks. Wrap each in the prepared paper and put in the fridge for at least an hour, or in the freezer until chilled through.

To pre-bake, roll out a disk of dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Press into a greased pie dish. Trim off the edges and pinch close to the rim. Put back in the refrigerator or freezer until chilled, and heat the oven to 375°F. Take the pie shell out of the fridge and prick the bottom several times with a fork. Bake on the bottom oven rack for 18-20 minutes or until baked but not browned.

Dough can be well-wrapped and frozen until needed.