‘Twin Peaks’ Cherry Pie
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:1 pie
- ½cup/120 milliliters cold whole milk, plus more if needed
- 1tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2⅔cups/340 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1tablespoon kosher salt
- 8ounces/227 grams (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut in ½-inch (12 millimeter) cubes
- 1large egg
- ¼cup/60 milliliters whole milk
- Raw sugar, for sprinkling
- 8cups/38 ounces/1,100 grams pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen
- 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar (see tip)
- 5tablespoons/36 grams cornstarch
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3tablespoons cherry liqueur or cherry-flavored brandy
For the Crust
For the Filling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
400 calories; 17 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 29 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 431 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Make the crust: In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk and vinegar. In a large mixing bowl, toss the flour, sugar and salt with a fork to combine. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter cubes until the butter is the size of small peas. Using a fork or large spoon, slowly add the liquid in 4 or 5 additions, stopping after every pour to combine, until the dough just sticks together. Knead lightly in the bowl until it forms a taut ball.
- Step 2
Separate dough into 2 equal-size disks and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour. (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.)
- Step 3
Make the filling: Mix the cherries, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium-size saucepan and cook over medium heat until cherries thaw (if frozen) and the cornstarch and sugar dissolve. Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally to keep cherries from burning, and cook until the mixture thickens slightly. (Total cooking time should be about 20 minutes.) Add liqueur, stir and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature.
- Step 4
Assemble the pie: Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough into a ⅛-inch (3 millimeters) thick circle about 15 inches (38 centimeters) in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch/23 centimeter deep-dish pie plate and chill in refrigerator as you work on the top crust.
- Step 5
Working quickly, roll out a second disk into an ⅛-inch (3 millimeters) thick rectangle about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long and 12 inches (30 centimeters) wide. Cut into 6 strips about 2 inches (5 centimeters) wide. Remove pie plate from refrigerator and fill with cherry filling. Weave lattice strips over the top. Seal, trim and crimp the edges. Or cut dough into five zigzag strips and lay on top of pie filling, trimming excess.
- Step 6
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk to make an egg wash. Brush the crust with it, and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Step 7
On a baking sheet, bake pie for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, rotating once halfway through. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 to 40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is thick and glossy. Juice may bubble onto baking sheet. Remove pie to wire rack to cool before serving. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tip
- Buy sour cherries when they are in season and pit them the same day you buy them. Mix 4 cups/550 grams pitted sour cherries with ½ cup/100 grams sugar and freeze in a zipper-lock bag. For this recipe, you would use 2 bags of these frozen cherries without adding the sugar on the ingredient list. The cherries will keep, frozen, for up to 2 years.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Andrew
There are two "see tip"s mentioned - one in the ingredient list for filling/sugar; one in the intro about a "bounty you freeze yourself". I may be missing something obvious, but: where are these tips?
Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor
KLD, we do our best to address all issues in a timely manner, but it's just not possible with over 17K recipes. 1. Nutritional info will automatically populate in a few days. 2. You can leave the cherry brandy out if you'd like, but it intensifies the cherry flavor. 3. The author addresses the crust options – lattice, double crust or chevron (shown here) – in the recipe description at the top. I hope that clears things up and happy baking!
Patty
I think the addition of almond extract, or a bit of almond liqueur, pairs better with sour cherries and adds more depth of flavor than any cherry liqueur.
Susan
To pit cherries easily, place each one on top of a bottle and shove a straw through the cherry so that the pit is forced through into the bottle.
William Wroblicka
No adjustment necessary. Buttermilk has less fat than whole milk so that may slightly affect the texture of the crust. However, the overall proportions of flour, fat, and liquid specified in the recipe are pretty standard, and should produce a good crust regardless of which liquid you use. Even plain (cold) water would work.
John Spray
Cut the salt by half and drop the booze in favor of 3 tbs of bourbon vanilla...(split 3 beans in a pint of bourbon and 6 months later, you'll have the best vanilla ever). As for the cornstarch? Forget that taste killer... this isn't Chow Mein! Thicken with ground Tapioca. For a crispier crust, use 1/4 cup vodka and 1/4 cup whole buttermilk. Only sour cherries will do and my backyard tree is full of paper bags to keep those pesky Robins at bay.
LeslieMac
My first cherry pie. I used sweet cherries, because they were on sale for $2.49 lb near me, and reduced the sugar by 1/3 cup. Pitted them on my porch - took forever and turned my hands bright red. Because the fruit was fresh, the thickening process on the stove took only a few minutes (not 20). Skipped the liquor. Served it Sunday night for the Twin Peaks Return premiere, along with coffee, "black as midnight on a moonless night." A hit!
Janet
Ahhh, the eternal question as to how to thicken a good cherry pie. I'm a tapioca fan myself.
Joan
What adjustments to recipe, as written, should be made if using real buttermilk instead of milk/ACV?
Sara Bonisteel
Did you use kosher salt (such as Diamond) or coarse kosher salt (Morton)? Coarse kosher salt is doubly salty and would overpower the crust. This recipe calls for regular kosher salt.
Clara
Cherry pie is m favorite desert, so I have tasted many iterations over the years. I found this particular filling disappointing on account of the texture. Cooking the filling before hand renders the cherries softer, depriving them of that lovely burst of tart juice when you eat the finished pie. For me, that burst is the best part of a cherry pie, and I was sorry to miss it with this recipe.
Ken
I'm a nut about cheery pie ... it's about the only sort of fruit pie that I eat. I have eaten a lot of them. Sweet cherries make the pie much too sweet.
JChristineB
The tip is located just below step 7. In case your page doesn't show it, here it is:
" Tip
Buy sour cherries when they are in season and pit them the same day you buy them. Mix 4 cups/550 grams pitted sour cherries with 1/2 cup/100 grams sugar and freeze in a zipper-lock bag. For this recipe, you would use 2 bags of these frozen cherries without adding the sugar on the ingredient list. The cherries will keep, frozen, for up to 2 years."
Linda
We're big "Twin Peaks" fans, so couldn't wait to try this recipe as a dessert in front of the TV on Sunday evening. Didn't have enough cherries, but a bag of frozen blueberries was a good addition to the cherries. Agent Cooper would have been happy. Now, if we can only figure out what's going on with the series?
jayess99
can someone tell me te purpose of the cider vinegar? I've seen that in another recipe, and honestly, it was one of the best crusts I've ever made. Not sure what part the vinegar played, but I'd like to know. Thx.
Annie
Used maybe 30 percent less sugar and only 4tb corn starch. The filling was sweet but a little bland. I never have liqueur but tried 1tb bourbon. Wow! Incredible.
F
This pie seems like a good candidate for blind-baking
Pat Philipps
It’s a winner of a recipe. However, why wouldn’t the editors amend this recipe to use REGULAR salt instead of KOSHER SALT when there are so many variations in kinds of kosher salt? Additionally, why would the editors say frozen cherries can stay in the freezer for up to two years? With the majority of freezers these days being frost free, there is no way this fruit wouldn’t succumb to freezer burn. These are simple fixes that could help their readership have a more successful outcome.
PMW
Any pie experts out there have an idea about how to achieve the effect of chilling dough wrapped tightly in plastic wrap without using plastic wrap? I don’t keep it in the house for environmental reasons and so I’ve tried non-plastic substitutes before, but my dough always dries out a little more than I’d like. Planning to make this pie for my mom’s b-day and want it to be perfect!
Adele
Cherrry Pie, one of my two favorites! Growing up, a neighbor had a sour cherry tree, but have never been able to find sour cherries, fresh or frozen in the store anywhere I have lived as an adult, which has been 8 states. Have seen some offered for shipping from Michigan but costly. Any suggestions on finding them locally, either fresh or frozen or possibly a substitute. Thanks
Linda Bell
There are few pies better than sour cherry. You can also make excellent cobblers with them. And freezing is an excellent idea. I used to do that back in the day when the previous owners of our house were kind enough to plant a sour cherry tree.
Joyce, Highlands, NC
I bought a cherry pitter that pits five cherries at a time and it changed the game!
Laura
I used Diamond Crystal Kosher salt and found the one tablespoon listed in the ingredients to be too much. It didn't ruin the pie, but next time I'll use maybe two teaspoons of salt instead of the full tablespoon.
Carol
I have had a lot more success if I defrost and drain the sour cherries from the farmers market and sweeten/thicken just the liquid before adding back the cherries. This does add a step but it avoids overcooking the cherries and making them tough.
Laura
This is my new go-to pie crust recipe. I added 0.5 tsp of almond extract instead of the 3 Tbsp of cherry liqueur.
EF
This pie is amazing. It’s hands-down my favorite crust, and probably what I’ll use for other pies in the future. The improv buttermilk is genius. Made it with frozen tart cherries (good quality) because it’s what was available. Also we used 3/4 cup sugar instead of a cup for the filling. Added about an extra Tbsp of tapioca flour to the filling to stabilize, and the consistency was perfect, as was the crust and flavor. Separate the dough into a big and a little disc - big for the crust. Yum
Maggie
This was a great pie- not too cloyingly sweet, it would be a great candidate for a scoop of some really good vanilla ice cream! My only comment would be about storing the pie for up to 5 days- even made just one day ahead, the crust was soggy to the point of appearing raw (although it very much wasn't!) There is a LOT of moisture in this pie... I would recommend making it the day you plan to eat it. Could possibly be a good candidate for an egg white brushed on the crust to seal out moisture.
MSWIS
This is my favorite cherry pie recipe. Partially cooking the filling is key. Put in crust while warm. If you use table salt instead of kosher, decrease salt in crust to 1 scant teaspoon.
Sanchari Ghosh
My friend and I decided to make three pies and rrealized too late that there is a massive typo on the amount of salt needed (makes the crust way too salty).
Cathy
Andrew/re: "see tip": the ingredients tip is because the tip at the bottom (mentioned in the foreword) explains how to sweeten and freeze bags of cherries for future use. You would need two such bags for this recipe, and would therefore omit the sugar in the ingredients list because your bagged cherries already have the sugar added. There's only one tip, it is mentioned twice I suppose to help you preserve your cherries and then remember that you do not need to sweeten them when you bake.
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