Sour cherries are the natural choice for pie fanatics, but they can be difficult to find and, when they do show up, they tend to disappear the next instant. So we made this pie with the more widely available sweet cherries—with an extra splash of lemon juice for a dash of sour—to create a pie that can be made all summer long.

Game Plan: You’ll need to make our Pie Dough recipe ahead of time.

What to buy: We made this with both Burlat and Bing cherries and found them to be equally delicious.

Sanding sugar is sometimes labeled pearl sugar and can be found in gourmet grocery and cooking stores. If you can’t find it, just sub in some granulated sugar.

This recipe was featured as part of our Summer Fruit Pies story. Looking for a cherry treat without assembling a crust? Check out our easy clafoutis.

  • Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 3 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients (12)

  • 5 cups fresh pitted and stemmed Bing cherries (about 1 pound 13 ounces)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
  • Flour, for dusting the work surface
  • 2 recipes Basic Pie Dough
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon sanding sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Set a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil on the rack. Combine the cherries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, ginger, and salt in a large bowl and mix until the cherries are well coated; let sit at room temperature while you roll the dough, at least 20 minutes.
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk into a round approximately 12 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough, trimming off any excess but leaving enough to cover the edges of the plate; place in the refrigerator while you roll out the second disk of dough.
  3. Roll the second disk into a round approximately 12 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 12 (1-inch-wide) strips.
  4. Stir the cherry filling to evenly incorporate all the juices, then turn it into the prepared pie plate. Dot the butter over the top of the filling. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water together until smooth, then lightly brush the exposed edge of the crust with the egg wash.
  5. To make the lattice, evenly space 6 dough strips parallel to one another vertically across the filling. Pull every other strip toward you, folding it in half. Lay one strip horizontally in the center of the pie. Unfold the folded strips over top of the horizontal strip, then fold the ones that are now under the horizontal strip back toward you.
  6. Place a second strip horizontally about 1/2 inch from the first. Unfold the folded strips to cover the second horizontal strip. Repeat with a third strip at an equal distance from the second so half of the pie is now covered. Return to the center, lay a horizontal strip on the unwoven side of the pie, and repeat with the remaining strips. Trim the overhanging strips flush with the pie and, using your fingers or the back of a fork, crimp the dough to seal. Brush the top and edges of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with the sanding sugar.
  7. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking the pie until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Remove to a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before serving.