Don’t take it serious, it’s too mysterious.

Nothing is sweeter than the love you feel for your Valentine . . . well, cherry pie may be just A LITTLE BIT sweeter. I whipped these pies up quickly with a bag of frozen cherries, amaretto, and a pie crust I made last week just sitting in the freezer waiting to find its purpose in life. I simply cooked and thickened the cherries into a filling with sugar, vanilla, amaretto and baked into my par-baked mini pie tartlets pans.

I’m going to call these “rustic” pies . . . I do so whenever my pies come out less than perfect. I par-baked the crusts and they really shrunk, despite the fact that I chilled them before baking and I ended up with a little bit less dough than I needed to make the tops. Sometimes, I call my pies “cobblers” when they really come out differently than envisioned (a.k.a., a sloppy mess). Baking reminds us how to deal with life’s little disappointments? As the song goes, Live and laugh at it all . . .

Rustic Mini Cherry Pies

Yields (3) 5″ Pies | Prep Time :20 | Total Cook Time :35

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz. fresh or frozen dark cherries
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. amaretto extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. corn starch, dissolved in 3 tbsp. cold water

PIE CRUST

click here for the pie crust recipe

EQUIPMENT 

(3) 5″ mini fluted tartlet pan
mixing bowl
saucepan
pie weights
parchment paper

DIRECTIONS 

1. Follow directions to make the pie crust. While the pie crust chills, begin filling.
2. Place either frozen or fresh, pitted cherries in saucepan. Warm frozen cherries on medium-low until thawed.
3. Add sugar. Stir until cherries release juices and soften.
4. Once juices release, turn heat up to medium-high. Bring to just boiling.
5. Add dissolved corn starch. Stir consistently until sauce thickens.
6. Remove from heat and add vanilla and amaretto extracts.
7. Allow to cool to room temperature.
8. Par-bake pie crusts.
9. Lower oven to 350°.
10. Fill crusts with cherry filling.
11. Cover with dough.
12. Bake 12-14 minutes or until crusts begin to brown.