This Okanagan-style cherry pie pairs tart, pitted cherries with a buttery shortcrust and a woven lattice top. Use British Columbia sour cherries, including Okanagan fruit when available; fresh or frozen fruit both work when thawed cherries are drained well.
This Okanagan-style cherry pie pairs tart, pitted cherries with a buttery shortcrust and a woven lattice top. Use British Columbia sour cherries, including Okanagan fruit when available; fresh or frozen fruit both work when thawed cherries are drained well.
Step 1Keep butter, shortening and water cold. Wash hands after handling flour; keep raw pastry and tools separate from ready-to-eat foods, and never taste raw dough.
Step 2Sift flour and 5 g salt into a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter and shortening until coarse crumbs form, leaving some pea-sized pieces.
Step 3Stir vinegar into the cold water. Add it gradually, mixing just until the dough holds together; stop before using all the liquid if the dough is ready.
Step 4Divide dough into two equal portions, shape into discs, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5Heat oven to 230°C. Roll one disc and line a 23 cm pie plate, leaving about 2.5 cm overhang; chill the shell while you prepare the filling.
Step 6Mix sugar, quick-cooking tapioca and 0.5 g salt. If using thawed cherries, drain away excess liquid before measuring.
Step 7Toss pitted cherries with the sugar mixture until coated, then spoon them into the chilled shell without packing them down.
Step 8Roll the second disc to about 3 mm thick and cut strips. Weave a lattice, trim the edges, fold the lower pastry over the strip ends and pinch to seal.
Step 9Bake at 230°C for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C and bake 45–60 minutes more, until the crust is golden and cherry juices bubble thickly through the lattice.
Step 10Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing so the filling sets. If the rim browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
Step 11Serve at room temperature or warm. Reheat only the slice you plan to serve and eat it promptly.
Step 12Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container within 2 hours. Eat within 2–3 days; reheat to 74°C if serving warm. Discard pie left out over 2 hours at room temperature or over 1 hour outdoors in hot weather.
A kitchen scale keeps the flour and fats consistent, while cold ingredients make the pastry easier to roll. If the dough cracks, let it stand briefly; if it feels sticky, chill it again rather than adding much more flour. Drain frozen cherries thoroughly so the filling thickens instead of flooding the crust. The centre should bubble before the pie comes out, and a long cooling rest gives clean slices.
Approximate estimate per slice, calculated as one eighth of the pie using 375 g flour, 170 g unsalted butter, 50 g shortening, 200 g sugar, 16 g quick tapioca, 775 g sour cherries and 5.5 g salt. FoodData Central values were used; cherry weight is estimated from 155 g per cup. Brands, cup packing, fruit drainage and crust trimmings vary. This is not laboratory analysis.
Contains wheat (gluten) and milk (butter). Check shortening and tapioca labels for additional ingredients and cross-contact statements. Raw flour may carry harmful bacteria: do not taste raw dough, keep pastry and utensils separate from ready-to-eat foods, wash hands after flour handling, and clean bowls, tools and surfaces with hot soapy water. Bake the crust fully. Refrigerate the finished pie within 2 hours; use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C if serving warm. Discard perishable pie left at room temperature over 2 hours or outdoors in hot weather over 1 hour.
Yes. Thaw them in the refrigerator and drain excess liquid before weighing and mixing with the sugar and tapioca.
