dear fellow crumbsnatchers,
fourth of july reminds me of my dad. a true road warrior, he would drive for-ev-er if it meant watching the best fireworks show. ironically, it's also the original crumbsnatcher's birthday and she hates fireworks. but i can't think of a better way to remember my dad, kick-off the holiday weekend and celebrate gypsie's birthday than to officially launch my personal food blog, crumbs for gypsie! this blog is a place where i can connect with the outside world and share our crumb confessions with anyone who believes food is love and love is food.
sometimes i'll light a few sparklers to get my holiday fix but one thing remains constant - the food! in addition to hamburgers, hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob and deviled eggs, this year features an american classic - cherry pie! in terms of fruit pies, bumbleberry, strawberry-rhubarb and apple are some of my favorites, but cherry pie is mutually loved by both me and the manfriend.
baking has always been a strength of mine except for fruit pies and advanced cake decorating. my high school hosted annual color war games that included a culinary competition. representing the red team, junior year i baked a strawberry cream cheese torte and senior year i baked a chocolate raspberry cake, earning a second place and first place finish, respectively. i still believe i should have won my junior year but chocolate always wins. as an intern, i baked birthday treats for each of the 17 interns in my cohort - mini strawberry cheesecakes, red velvet pound cake, chocolate chip cookie cake, just to name a few.
i've come such a looooonnnnggg way in my pie-making skills. don't believe me? check out this beauty from 2016 when i tried to replicate king arthur flour's american flag pie recipe in a sad attempt to impress the manfriend on our first fourth of july together. i don't think this attempt would be featured on the netflix show, nailed it!, but you'll see today that i've drastically improved over the years.
pie crust recipe
crumb confession: every great pie starts with a great pie crust. my favorite pie crust recipe uses a combination of butter and lard. that's right, lard! you can substitute the lard with vegetable shortening to make it vegetarian-friendly, or substitute with butter if you don't have lard. but i insist you try it once with butter and lard. you can omit the sugar in this recipe to make a more savory crust for things like quiche or chicken pot pie. sometimes i'll add a dash of vanilla extract or almond extract but it really depends on the filling. for cherry pies, i'll add the dash of almond extract since i use it in the filling and i love almond extract. also, a lot of people use a food processor to make their crusts, but i prefer to use my hands or a fork.
cuisine: american
prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
cook time: 45-55 minutes
serves: 1 double-crust pie or 2 single-crust pies
ingredients
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup lard, cold (can substitute with butter or shortening)
6-8 tbs ice water
dash of almond extract, optional
directions
cut butter and lard into 1/4-inch cubes. store in fridge.
in a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt.
combine cold butter and lard with flour mixture with pastry cutter, fork, two knives or hand until it resembles a coarse meal.
add almond extract and mix. add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough forms a ball. you may need to additional water if dough is dry.
divide dough into two discs and wrap in plastic. store in fridge for at least 60 minutes.
make cherry pie filling (see recipe below).
pre-heat oven to 400F.
roll out first dough disc to fit a 9-inch pie plate. place on pie plate. remember to poke a few fork holes on bottom crust.
add pie filling and roll out second dough disc. keep it simple with a top crust with vents or try your hand at a lattice crust. or get extra fancy for the holiday with american flag design.
bake at 400F for 15 minutes. reduce oven temperature to 375F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
cool on baking rack for at least 2 hours before serving to allow filling to set.
cherry pie filling recipe
crumb confession: while the pie crust is chilling, prepare your fruit filling! i prefer using frozen cherries over fresh for pies. but i won't turn down fresh cherries when they are in season either. just make sure you pit and halve them. i've struggled with fruit pie fillings being too runny until the manfriend's mom shared her secret tip: minute tapioca. i've tried all-purpose flour, cornstarch and tapioca flour as thickening agents and it just wasn't right. usually found in the baking aisle of the grocery store, the 8 oz box of kraft minute tapioca is what we use to ensure our pie filling sets for the perfect slice.
cuisine: american
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 45-55 minutes
serves: 1 9-inch pie
ingredients
4 1/2 cups of tart cherries, pitted, fresh or frozen
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup minute tapioca
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbs. unsalted butter, optional
directions
prepare your favorite pie crust recipe (see recipe above).
combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. set aside.
pre-heat oven to 400F.
roll out first dough disc to fit a 9-inch pie plate. place on pie plate. remember to poke a few fork holes on bottom crust.
add pie filling and roll out second dough disc. keep it simple with a top crust with vents or try your hand at a lattice crust. or get extra fancy for the holiday with american flag design.
bake at 400F for 15 minutes. reduce oven temperature to 375F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
cool on baking rack for at least 2 hours before serving to allow filling to set.
to make this an extra special treat, cherry pie is great with a big dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream. although cherry flesh is safe for dogs, gypsie is only allowed a few pie crust crumbs, even if it's her birthday. happy fourth of july and happy birthday gypsie!
love and crumbs,
christina & gypsie
p.s. did you make this recipe? be sure to drop us a crumb on instagram at @crumbsforgypsie and hashtag it #crumbsforgypsie.
recommended equipment
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