Ohio Sour Cherry Pie

Filling:

1 cup sugar (or 1 cup of salt—if you are feeling salty—read Chapter 8)

4 tsp of tapioca

1/4 cup cornstarch

20 oz of tart (sour, not sweet) pitted cherries. Dry packed, or frozen, or canned can be used. Fresh picked from the farm is best. 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons of butter

1 or 2 drops of natural red food coloring (optional)

Crust:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

1/2 cup water

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vinegar

Glaze:

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon sugar

For filling:

Combine sugar, tapioca, and cornstarch in medium heavy saucepan. Stir cherries in gently. Cook and stir gently on medium heat about 10 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts, butter, and food color if using. Cool for 1 hour.

For crust (like Aunt Bernie would do it)

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or 2 knives to form pea-size chunks. Combine water, egg, and vinegar in a small bowl. Sprinkle over flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Toss lightly with fork until dough forms a ball. (You must not use all the liquid. Divide dough in thirds. Press between hands to form 3 5-6 inch pancakes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Flour rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll dough for bottom crust into circle. Trim one larger than upside down 9-inch pie plate. Loosen dough carefully. Fold into quarters. Unfold. Press into pie plate. Trim edge with pie plate. Moisten pastry edge with water. Spoon filling into unbaked pie shell.

Roll top crust the same as bottom. Lift onto unfilled pie. Trim 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate, Fold top beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top edge under bottom crust. Flute with fingers or fork.

For glaze: Brush crust with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool.

For decoration, use the third pancake to cut out of the shape of Ohio. Bake for additional 10 minutes. Cool.

Easy Method: (like a busy mom would do it)

Same recipe for filling. Use freezer-case pastry crusts from grocery. These usually come with 2 crusts. Use the second crust for Ohio map and lay decoration directly on the fruit. 

Use a maraschino cherry to mark your favorite fictional town, Shepherdsville.