Grab a ladder, pick your own cherries, then let’s make this luscious Homemade Cherry Rum Pie with a thick, rich fresh cherry filling!
Cherry Picking
Who knew, when I bought my current home it would come with a cherry tree!
It also came with raspberries, peaches and a greenhouse.
Somebody pinch me, am I really alive!
The first June, in this lovely country home, I was elated to grab my ladder and go pick cherries.
After spending time in the kitchen with my new kitchen toy ‘cherry pitter’ I had a juicy heap of cherries ready to make into a simple yet decadent pie.
Cherry Pie And Presidents
During the 18th century, pie was a common way to turn fruit into dessert.
Comparatively, cakes were a bit more complex, given that there were not yet ovens, and the cost of ingredients was much higher.
As myth or fact would have it, our first president, George Washington, was said to love cherry pie.
It was also said that he got into trouble over a family cherry tree.
Nonetheless, a great Cherry Pie is often made in current times to commemorate Presidents Day.
Homemade Cherry Pie And Valentine’s Day
How fitting to serve a homemade cherry pie for Valentine’s Day, as we often seek to make desserts that are red in color.
Fitting also, since Presidents Day, George Washington’s birthday and Valentine’s Day are all in the same month.
Cherry Season
So, here’s the dilemma; cherry season isn’t until mid July, February has no hint of fresh cherries, so what’s a cook to do?
If canning is your thing, then you’ve solved the problem.
However, many of us (me included), don’t can, won’t can and don’t even know how to begin to can.
Therefore, I’m a big fan of the freezer!
Buying bundles of fresh cherries when they are in season, pitting, and freezing in portion size containers, provides fresh cherries in February, well, sort of fresh!
Cherry Pitting Dilemma
Pitting those gorgeous juicy cherries comes with its own challenges.
Certainly there are several ways to go about it, but I want to make certain that I don’t lose any of the juices while pitting.
And so, for me, the purchase of a cherry pitting tool, that costs under ten bucks, and can also be used for olives, just made sense to me.
But, if you would like to explore other ways, I found an interesting video for it.
Cherry Rum Pie
I was feeling very tropical, with my new discovery of fruit trees at my new home. Like, who has fruit growing in their yard!
Well, now I do and I am going to milk it for all it’s worth!
Tropical Cherries? Mine certainly are going to be.
Rum and Lime, a scrumptious Homemade Pie Crust (or cheat if you must and buy one), and this pie will be ready in no time.
Making Cherry Pie
Making all the components of a fruit pie is not as difficult as you might think.
If you make the pie crust, which I highly recommend, you need only flour, butter and a little sugar, a rolling pin and some fun cookie cutter shapes.
Once the cherries are pitted, all the filling gets whisked in a bowl, dumped into the pie shell, fancy the top of the pie crust, dust some raw sugar and bake.
Ingredients Needed
- Pie Crust
- Cherries
- Sugar
- Corn starch
- Lime juice
- Rum
- Salt
- Eggs
Equipment Needed
- Rolling pin
- Pie baking dish
- Cherry pitter – I also use this one for olives too!
- Cookie cutter – for pie top cut-outs
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Basking brush
- Oven
Homemade Cherry Rum Pie
Equipment
- Pie pan
- Cherry pitter
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 2 Pie Crusts – top and bottom homemade or store bought
- 2 cups Cherries pitted and sliced
- 1/2 cup Sugar extra for top
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 3 tbsp Rum
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3 Eggs
Instructions
- Roll out the pie crust. Placing the pie dish on top to determine the size, cut around the pie plate, adding an extra 2-inches to fit down into the plate.
- With remaining dough, roll out again, along with scraps into a disc, and cut just the size of the top of the plate. Place both in the fridge while preparing the filling.Cut-outs can be made or, instead of a round top, strips can be cut to lattice the top of the pie.
- Preheat the oven to 425.
- Remove 1/3 of the sliced cherries and crush them. Mix in the sugar, cornstarch, lime juice, rum and salt.
- Whisk in 2 eggs.
- Fold in sliced cherries. Pour into the pie crust.
- Carefully place crust for the top (remembering it will have holes from cutouts or woven strips, so handle carefully).
- With final egg, whisk with 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush lightly on top, place cut outs as you want them, (great for covering patchy spots), brush egg wash again. Sprinkle top with a little sugar. Place on a cookie sheet (to catch any drips).
- Bake in a preheated oven of 425 for 10 minutes, turn down to 350 and bake until top is golden, 35-45 minutes.
Video
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
