Thanksgiving Feast - Dessert - Cherry Pie

Most of the recipes we've posted to this point haven't been shared, or tested, by anyone else.  But this recipe has.  Our friend Paige heard about this "mishap" and said she'd been looking for a good cherry pie recipe. And she's made it several times since!

This recipe was the reason for the "Read the recipe all the way through" lesson.  Two years ago, we were very ambitious with about 15 recipes for the meal.  We decided to do this one first so it could it could bake while we prepared other dishes (and we needed to use the oven in "shifts" to get the timing right for everything to be done at once).

First 10 minutes of the big day and Nicole dumps the whole can of cherries into the prepared pie crust.  Without draining it.  "But without the liquid from the can, how does it get so juicy?"  Baking is magical, Nicole.  It just does.

Cherry Pie

1 1/3 c sugar
1/3 c flour
2 cans pitted, red tart cherries, DRAINED
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp butter
2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts (there are 2 to one box usually)
Red food coloring, optional

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Lay out one of the pie crusts into 9" pie pan, and press to form to the pan.  Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together sugar and flour.
4. Mix with cherries. 
5. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring, if desired.
6. Pour into pie crust.
7. Sprinkle with almond extract.
8. Pat with butter (evenly spaced)
9. Cover with second pie crust.
10. Seal and flute.
11. Add several slits in top of crust.
12. Cover edge of pie with 2-3 inch thick strips of aluminum so edges won't burn.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
14. Remove foil.
15. Bake for 10-15 minutes longer until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits.

Tip:  Put large cookie sheet on the shelf under the pie.  Just in case it bubbles over so your oven isn't a mess.  

We serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

What NOT to do.  LOL

YUM!