6 tablespoons water, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cherry brandy
4-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Dash salt
2 cups fresh or frozen pitted tart cherries, thawed and halved
1 cup fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, thawed and halved
Pastry for double-crust pie
1 large egg
ICING:
2-2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt
Freeze-dried strawberries, crushed, optional
1. In a large saucepan, whisk 4 tablespoons water, sugar, brandy, cornstarch, lemon juice, tapioca, lemon zest and salt until combined. Add cherries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough to a 14x9-in. rectangle. Cut out eight 3-1/2 x 4-1/2-in. rectangles. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. Transfer 8 rectangles to parchment-lined baking sheets; spoon about 3 tablespoons cherry mixture in center of each. Whisk egg and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Brush edges of crust with egg wash. Top with remaining 8 rectangles; press edges with a fork to seal. Brush tops with egg wash; cut slits in tops.
4. Bake until crust is golden brown and slightly puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Combine confectioners' sugar, hot water, melted butter, extracts and salt; drizzle over pies. Garnish with freeze-dried strawberries if desired. Let stand until set.
There's nothing better than a sweet, from-scratch delight like traditional cherry pie. These precious little hand pies always go fast when I sell them at my pie bakery!
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 45 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling
YIELD: 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts
1 pie: 589 calories, 27g fat (16g saturated fat), 91mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium, 83g carbohydrate (49g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.