Cherry Pie

It’s cherry season!!! Cherries are easily one of my favourite fruits, and I fully indulge the second they hit the stands. Every year I bake a homemade cherry pie, and this version is officially the best so far.

I won’t pretend to be a master baker. My shortcrust pastry actually failed this time, so I’m skipping the dough recipe and getting straight to the good stuff: the filling. It is absolutely incredible! While I usually try to keep things healthy, sometimes you just have to enjoy a sweet, juicy pie for exactly what it is.

The real secret? The orange syrup. It takes this dish to a whole new level. Plus, you’ll have leftovers; they keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a month (it’s perfect for your next pie!).

Recipe Details

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Ready In: 1 hour (+ cooling time)
Difficulty: Easy

Meal prep storage

Best served fresh. Leftovers can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Freezing: Can be frozen unbaked for up to 1 month. Cooking from Frozen: Bake directly from the freezer at your recipe's temperature for approximately 45 minutes until golden and heated through.

Ingredients

320g shortcrust pastry (approx. 1 pre-rolled pack)
1kg fresh cherries, pitted
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (for egg wash)
2 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
--- Orange Syrup ---
1 orange, juiced
225g caster sugar
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

In a saucepan heat the orange syrup ingredients up to a boil, and allow it to bubble away until it thickens, this takes around 15 minutes. If it’s not thickening make sure that it’s boiling, it needs to be hot to thicken. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.

While the orange syrup is thickening, get your cherries ready by deseeding them all, yes it takes a while but it’s totally worth it! Pop them into a bowl and add the cornflour, stirring them all together so the cornflour coats the cherries.

In a pie dish, I always put down greaseproof paper when baking and then lay out the bottom layer of the pastry. I cook this shortly in the oven so it starts to cook and catch some colour around 10 mins.

Meanwhile in a large saucepan put the cherries, vanilla extract, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium heat until the cherries release their juices and get soft. Then add in 3 tbsp of the orange syrup and the lemon juice, stir together and cook until all is warmed through. The cherry mix shouldn’t be runny, but instead sticky and smooth. Have a taste, careful it’s hot! Add more lemon juice or orange syrup if needed. Then transfer the cherries to the pie dish. Cover with the top layer of pastry, sealing the edges and poking a few holes in the top. You can get really fancy here and make a pastry design or just keep it simple. Now beat the egg with the powdered sugar and brush over the top of the pie. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp.

To serve, allow it to cool down, the cherries will be pipping hot! You can serve along with some ice cream, custard or cream. Sit back and enjoy the cherry feast! Enjoy!