Favorite Cherry Pie

For the No Excuses Pie Dough:

1. Cut butter into ½ inch cubes and freeze for at least one hour.
2. Place the flour and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times (1 second pulses) to mix.
3. Add the frozen butter cubes to the food processor bowl, and toss with a fork to coat. Continue pulsing to work the butter into the flour mixture, until the butter is the size of small peas. (About 8-12 pulses, depending on the size of the motor on the food processor.)
4. While the food processor is running on high, slowly add the ice water through the feed tube, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together and a stiff dough forms. (This process usually takes 15-20 seconds total in my ‘80’s era food processor.)
5. Dump dough onto a clean, floured surface. Divide dough in half. Lightly shape each half into a ball, and then pat the ball into a ½ inch tall disk. Wrap the disks snugly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes before rolling out. (Makes enough for a generous 9-inch, deep dish pie.)Prepare pie filling while dough is chilling.

For the pie filling:

1. Place the frozen cherries into a mesh strainer set over a bowl to thaw and drain (and catch the juice).
2. Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a saucepan until blended.
3. Combine water and 1/2 cup of the cherry juice (from the now thawed cherries.)
4. Slowly whisk cherry juice mixture into the sugar mixture until combined and smooth.
5. Place the pan over medium heat and heat to boiling; whisking constantly until very thick.
6. Remove from heat and stir in cherries; cool filling to room temperature (this will take about 30 minutes).
7. Remove pie dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to warm a bit at room temperature for 15 minutes so that it is still cold, but rolls without cracking. Roll out one disk of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness; gently roll dough around a rolling pin and transfer it to a 9-inch, deep dish pie plate, ensuring a 1 ½ inch overhang.
8. Pour pie filling into the pastry-lined pie plate.
9. Roll out the other disk of dough to cover the top of pie, leaving a 1 ½ inch overhang.
10. Fold both crust edges over to create a ½-inch rim around the pie. Seal the crusts together, crimp them and cut a few slits in the top of the crust to vent it.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
12. Whip egg with water to create egg wash. Brush egg wash over the top of the pie, and sprinkle sugar on top.
13. Chill assembled pie in the refrigerator while oven comes to temperature. (About 20 minutes.)
14. Put pie into the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
15. Allow pie to cool completely on a wire rack before serving to give the filling time to set.