Bourbon Cherry Pie with Crumble Topping
A sweet - but not too sweet - cherry filling inside a buttery, flaky pie crust and finished with a simple crumble topping that lets the beauty of the cherries peek through!
Servings: 8 to 10 slices
Ingredients
For the Cherry Pie Filling:
- 2 and 1/2 pounds sour cherries stemmed and pitted (can use frozen - thaw in the fridge overnight and drain excess liquid)
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- ¾ tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch Can substitute corn starch at half the amount - 3 TBSP
For the Crust:
- 1/2 my pie crust recipe
- 2 TBSP cream cheese 1 ounce, at room temp
For the Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp salted butter, cold
Instructions
- Prep: Read through all the directions before beginning! Making pie doesn't have to be complicated but when I don't walk myself through the recipe first, I often make mistakes that I could have avoided! Don't be scared by the long total time - that includes all the time that the pie dough has to chill - that is NOT hands on time!
- Prepare the Crust: Prepare 1/2 of my crust recipe, found in my perfect pie crust post. (You can also prepare the full amount of dough, you'll just have half left over for another pie - it can be stored in the fridge or freezer as directed in that post). Prepare the dough through step 7 - placing the dough in the pan, crimping, and freezing it for at least 15 minutes. Don't egg wash it yet.
- Par-Bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Par bake the crust as directed in step 7 of my "how to make perfect pie crust" post. Let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.
- Mix up the Crumble: Combine all crumble ingredients except the butter in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cut the cold butter into large chunks and add the bowl, tossing to coat in the mixture. Begin cutting the butter in using a pastry cutter, and continue until you have chunks of butter that are pea sized and smaller. Cover and place in the fridge while you prep the filling.
- Mix up the Cherry Filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all the filling ingredients.
- Assemble the Pie: Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Beat an egg in a small bowl for your egg wash. Brush the edges of the crust with this egg wash. Spoon the cherry filling into the pie, leaving the liquid in the mixing bowl - we don't want the filing to be a watery mess! Sprinkle the crumble over the top of the pie, leaving a small circle open in the middle for steam to vent and for visual effect. Don't be afraid to pile the crumble on high!
- Bake: Place the pie on a baking sheet (to catch any filling drips). Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. The crumble will be golden brown and the cherry filling will be bubbly.
- Serve + Store: Allow the pie to cool 4-6 hours before serving, or overnight. (Let it cool completely at room temperature, then cover tightly and refrigerate. Let stand at room temp for a 20-30 minutes before serving). Enjoy with ice cream or whipped cream! Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the fridge for 5-6 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from the Sister Pie Cookbook.