Cherry Pie

For the past two weekends, my husband has been talking about how much he'd like a cherry pie. And so on this day, I made one for him. It may have been my biggest accomplishment of the day, which isn't saying much. For making pies to me is . . . well, it's easy as pie!

I used to make a cherry pie occasionally for my husband's father, who passed a half-dozen years ago. So perhaps it's been longer than I think since I made one. Indeed, it felt a bit strange. The cherry pie goo is so sticky; it makes a real mess!

I am perhaps better known for my apple pies, a kind I like to make from scratch; ideally, using apples from my father's trees back home. I do love to make a cheesecake too, but they appear much more rarely; they seem more of a holiday thing to me.

I recommend that if you make a pie, you try a lattice crust, as it looks fancy and makes everyone think you put lots of time into it. Here's how. Make the crust as you normally would for a double-crust pie, then divide it in half (one for top, one for bottom). Roll out the bottom crust with a rolling pin, and neatly tuck it into the pie plate. Then add the pie filling.

Roll out the top crust, and with a sharp knife, cut it into about a dozen half-inch strips. Place the two longest strips in the middle of the pie on top of the filling, side-by-side. Then add additional strips one at a time, neatly lifting up existing pie crust strips as necessary to slide the new ones over and under them. Then trim the excess bits of crust with a sharp knife, crimp the edges with a fork, and sprinkle just the tiniest dusting of sugar on top. Really, everyone will think you fussed!

The song to accompany this image is an 80s tune by Warrant, and the video caused quite a stir when it came out. According to Wikipedia, "it featured the members of Warrant and a scantily clad woman who is seen dancing throughout the video while the band members perform and make tongue-in-cheek references to the song's lyrics." It has been listed among both the best and the worst MTV videos of all time. Here is Warrant, with Cherry Pie.

Also possibly related . . . my favorite pie chart, showing pie I have eaten, as well as pie I have not yet eaten. :-)