Cherry Crumble Pie

For the pie crust:
Preheat oven as directed on pie crust for pre-baking the shell (mine was 400°F). Defrost pie crust on your counter for 10 minutes, or as package directs. Poke the sides and bottom of pie crust several times with a fork.

Bake as directed on your package for pre-baking. Mine suggested baking the crust on a cookie sheet for 12–16 minutes; I took it out at the 14-minute mark.

Remove crust from oven promptly and cool on a wire rack. If the center has puffed up during baking, push it down gently into the shape of the pie pan. If there are cracks in the pie crust, wet your fingers with clean, room temperature water and press gently to seal the cracking parts back together again.

For the filling:
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan or pot. Place pot over medium heat and add in all the pitted cherries and lime juice. Stir well to combine until there are no more lumps of sugar or cornstarch left. Check for any stems or pits you may have missed!

Bring cherry mixture to a boil, then turn down heat to medium-low or low. Simmer cherry pie filling for 5–8 minutes, stirring frequently, until bubbly and thick. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to allow mixture to cool more quickly. Allow to cool to room temperature or until just a bit warm, then cover bowl tightly and pop it in the fridge to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the topping.

For the topping:
Add flour, marzipan, cold cubed butter (straight from the fridge) and salt to a food processor or medium mixing bowl. Pulse about 20 times in the food processor before mixing on high speed for 20–30 seconds. If you are doing this in a bowl, you’ll need a pastry cutter or you can use your fingers to cut the butter and marzipan into the flour. The mixture should hold together when you squeeze it but should also easily crumble apart when rubbed between your fingers.

To assemble:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cooled pie crust on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Pour cooled cherry filling into pie crust. Sprinkle with topping, covering completely (there may be some topping left over).

Bake for 75–90 minutes. Filling should be bubbly and topping golden brown. Remove pan from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Or you can cool the pie completely, cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This pie is wonderful served warm with vanilla ice cream, but you can serve it at room temperature or cold, if desired. Topping it with whipped cream is another really yummy option!