Easy Brown Sugar Cherry Pie

Summer is finally here! Not only are the scorching temperatures in D.C. screaming summer, but the fresh produce in my grocery store also lets me know that winter is long gone and summer is here to stay. I must admit that I did a little happy dance when I saw fresh blueberries on sale at my grocery store. Blueberries are my all time favorite food. I could survive off of blueberries if I had to; so, naturally, I bought four pints. I might just turn into one gigantic blueberry, and I'd be totally fine with it.

With all of the fresh produce readily available, I wanted to make a fruit dessert that was easy to put together, not too filling, and delicious all at the same time. While I was very tempted to make blueberry pie, I thought cherry pie sounded just as scrumptious. Plus, a friend of mine absolutely loves cherry pie, so I was inspired to break out of my blueberry addiction and use another one of my favorite fruits, the beautifully, plump cherry.

This pie might be a little different than other cherry pies that you've seen or made. This cherry pie calls for brown sugar in addition to granulated sugar. The rich molasses undertones in the brown sugar enhance the cherry flavors and take the pie to another level. I actually discovered this brilliant trick when I first made this pie and could only find brown sugar. No granulated sugar in sight! Not willing to run to the store, I decided to take a chance and use all brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar. The pie turned out fabulously. When I made this pie for a second time, I made a few revisions, including half brown sugar and half granulated sugar, and I couldn't be happier with the results. I strongly urge you to try brown sugar in your next fruit pie! You will love the results.

If how wonderful this pie tastes isn't reason enough to make it, how about that it is prepared and baked in about an hour (that is, if you use pre-made pie crust, which I definitely did). There are also only five ingredients that go into the pie crust. Hard to believe that five simple ingredients make such a delightful summer dessert. If you are looking for a great way to celebrate summer and the fresh produce, look no further: this pie is all you need!

Easy Brown Sugar Cherry Pie (adapted from The Food Network)
(8-10 servings)

2 packages frozen, pitted sweet cherries (about 6 cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1-2 cups fresh cherries, stems removed and pitted
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 pre-made pie crusts (or your favorite double pie crust recipe)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a glass 8 or 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray. Lay one of the pie crusts in the pie plate and press into plate, making sure the pie crust lays flat and against all of the sides.

Put the frozen cherries in a large pot. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cherries are thawed and juices have been released. Add the sugars and cornstarch, and stir the ingredients together. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Simmer the mixture for about 2-3 minutes, or until juices have thickened. Add more cornstarch for a thicker sauce, or add a little bit of water to thin the sauce. Remove the cherries from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, pit the fresh cherries. Once the cherry mixture has cooled, pour it into the prepared pie plate with crust. Top with fresh, pitted cherries. Dot the cherries with the butter. Unroll the second pie crust and place on top of the cherry mixture, making sure to seal the two pie crusts together. Cut a slit on the top of the pie.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for an hour. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 322.3
Total Fat: 10.8 g

Cholesterol: 6.2 mg

Sodium: 168.3 mg

Total Carbs: 60.4 g

Fiber: 2.6 g

Sugars: 41.1 g

Protein: 2.3 g

Pros:

-Simple list of ingredients
-Easy to make, especially if you use pre-made pie crusts
-Pie is prepared and baked in about an hour
-Great way to use fresh cherries (you can use all fresh cherries in this recipe if desired)
-Serve this warm and unadorned, with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream

Cons:

-There is a lot of sugar in each serving; however, about half of this is natural sugar from the cherries