Categories: Christmas, Fruits, Holidays, My Baking & Cooking, Pies
Sour Cherry Pie with Pistachio Crumble
For a Christmas party two Saturdays ago, I really wanted to make a dessert with red & green colors (y’know, Christmas colors!), so when I laid my eyes on the Sour Cherry Pie with Pistachio Crumble photo in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book at the bookstore, well, the rest is history. 
**Photo from nydailynews.com; similar to the one in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
Before it went into the oven–see the cherry filling dripping out on left?
Frozen sour cherries were nowhere to be found, so I used frozen sweet cherries instead. I should have drained the excess liquid from thawing because the pie was on the juicy/wet side.
Close-up of the pie
To view photo in Flickr, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/yummies4tummies/3144756769
At the store, I had two choices when it came to pistachios: 1) roasted and salted and shelled, 2) raw (still in its shell). I chose raw, but hated every minute of cracking open the shells, then removing the skin as best I could. I’m fairly sure I mentioned before that I’m more of an uncomplicated recipe kind-of-baker. LOL. Finding a store that sells shelled unsalted pistachios has suddenly become a priority because this pie has almost converted me from an apple-pie lover to a cherry-pie lover…it’s that goooood! Boy is it ever! Scroll down for recipe, otherwise take a looksie at the 2 other desserts I made.
Why the festivities wouldn’t have been complete without a Chocolate Lovers’ Cake with Raspberries and Bread Pudding with day-old buttermilk bread!
Chocolate Lovers’ Cake with Raspberries–unlike the first time , I let the raspberries thaw for over an hour
For recipe, click here
Bread Pudding with buttermilk bread
For Bread Pudding recipe, click here
Sour Cherry Pie with Pistachio Crumble
Pie crust:
- 1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Dough (see recipe here) – I used Marie Callender’s: Deep Dish Pie Shell (frozen), thawed, then baked for 5 minutes before adding cherry filling
Pistachio crumble:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup whole oats, ground to a flour in a food processor (yielding 1/2 cup oat flour)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup shelled unsalted whole pistachios, coarsely ground in a food processor or chopped medium fine by hand
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Sour cherry filling:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 1/4 pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted, or 2 pounds frozen sour cherries, partially thawed – I used 2 pounds of frozen sweet cherries
PREPARATION:
- If using frozen cherries, use a strainer to remove excess liquid and allow to thaw for an hour
- Ground oats in food processor
- Coarsely ground pistachios in food processor or chop by hand
DIRECTIONS:
Place a rack in the bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Pistachio crumble:
- In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, oat flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pistachios.
- Stir in the melted butter and mix gently to combine. Set aside.
Cherry filling:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, place the cherries and sprinkle the flour mixture over the top; mix gently to combine. (If you are using fresh cherries, the natural sweetness can vary. Taste the mixture to see if you need more sugar than is called for.)
- Pour the cherries into the unbaked pie shell.
Complete making the pie:
- Sprinkle the pistachio crumble evenly over the top of the cherries.
- Place the pie plate on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling and thick. Remove to a rack to cool to room temperature before serving.
Fruit pies are best eaten the day they are baked.
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One comment for “Sour Cherry Pie with Pistachio Crumble”
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The cherry pie looks fantastic. I’m going to make it this week!
Thanks for sharing.