Best Cherry Pie

Luby Luby Luby's Note:

This is called Best Cherry Pie because it is a blue ribbon winner at the county fair in Vicksburg, MS (according to the cookbook "Vintage Vicksburg"). I think it's a blue ribbon winner

• Total Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter , softened
• 2 (14 ½ ounce) cans pitted tart cherries , drained and reserving 1/2 cup juice
• ¼ teaspoon red food coloring
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice.
3. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.
4. Combine cherry juice, food coloring, almond extract and lemon juice.
5. Add to dry ingredients, mixing well.
6. Add cherries and mix well again.
7. Add butter and let stand for 15 minutes.
8. Pour cherry mixture into pie crust and finish top with lattice work pie crust.
9. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes.

Reviews

[ladyfingers]

I didn't think I could improve on my cherry pie--WRONG! This replaces it in a heartbeat. Turned out beautifully. The only change I made was to give the upper crust an egg white wash, then sprinkle with sugar. Thanks, Luby for another winner.

[Luv2cook4friends]

Great tasting pie! Do want to warn anyone who tries to make this. I made it EXACTLY as directed and when I went to check on it around 50 mins it was very liquidy! I was freaking out thinking the pie was ruined but it was not! I covered the perimeter crust with foil and baked it for 15 mins longer. The filling was still very loose when I took it out but after it sat and cooled for a bit it firmed up right away. It is a very good cherry pie- more tart than sweet (like you would get from a cherry pie filling out of a can). I will definitely make it again.

[M. Joan]

Hi, Luby! Made your pie for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely "delicious". The best Cherry pie I've ever made and the family loved it! The only change I made was to use 3 cans of pitted tart cherries, though I still used 1/2 cup of juice. I skipped the food coloring. I was out of almond extract (which I usually use) so used vanilla. Thanks so much for posting!