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For those of you who live in the Midwest you are probably familiar with Door County, Wisconsin. It is a popular vacation destination for families because of its sprawling landscape, orchards, fish boils and beautiful sunsets over the lake. For me, whenever I think of Door County I think Cherries. Lots of beautiful and delicious cherries are harvested in Door County every year, 13 million pounds to be exact. Cherry season starts in mid July so we should start seeing some of those gorgeous red jewels at the farmer’s markets beginning this week.

If you like to pick your own cherries, save the date for July 18th in Door County for Summer Cherry Harvest Fest. They’ll have fun family activities such as a Cherry Pie Eating Contest and a Cherry Pit Spit Contest (although I can’t say I’d participate in that one!). I first fell in love with Door County cherries when I tasted my mother in law’s famous Cherry Pie. Every year she freezes a ton of the Door County Cherries, also known as the Montmorency Tart Cherry, to use all year round in her pies. Everyone loves her cherry pie and it is truly special. I had to adapt the recipe for my upcoming book, because I couldn’t imagine my son John never trying her amazing pies.

I made only a few changes to make the pie allergen free, but it tastes as wonderful as her version. I highly recommend using an OXO cherry pitter to make the pitting task much easier. Also, you could make this with canned tart cherries in a pinch, but I can’t emphasize enough the difference fresh-from-the-farm cherries makes in the pie. I love this pie warmed slightly with a dollop of dairy free soy ice cream. Enjoy!!

Door County Cherry Pie

 

My mother-in-law, Jeanne, makes this pie all year long using the fantastic tart cherries of Door County, Wisconsin. She gets them fresh during cherry season and freezes them in quart-sized freezer bags. Get in the habit of picking in-season fruit and freezing for later; your pies will thank you.

  

Yield: 6 servings

 

1 recipe Easy Pie Dough 

6 cups fresh red tart cherries, pitted (or use 6 c. frozen cherries or 2 cans tart or sour pitted cherries, drained)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon dairy-free margarine, cut into pieces

 

Prepare Easy Pie Dough recipe as directed. Line a 9-inch pie plate with 1 rolled-out disk of dough.

 

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine cherries, cornstarch, and sugar, and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened. Stir in vanilla, and pour into prepared pie pan. Dot the top with pieces of dairy-free margarine. Roll out the second disk of dough into a large 11-inch rectangle. Cut the pastry into 1/2-inch strips, and weave dough into a lattice design.

 

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until fruit is bubbling and crust is nicely browned. Cover edges with foil if the crust is browning too quickly. Cool completely on a wire rack.

 

Tip: If you are using canned cherries, make sure they are well drained and rinsed thoroughly. Add drops of red food coloring to give the canned cherries some of their red coloring back. Alternatively use frozen cherries.

 

Easy Pie Dough

 

 

Yield: Makes enough dough for a double-crust 9-inch pie

 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup dairy-free shortening chilled and cut into small pieces

5–7 tablespoons ice water

 

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor. Add small pieces of shortening, and pulse a few times until mixture resembles small crumbs. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to flour mixture, pulsing until the dough just comes together. Transfer mixture to a sheet of plastic wrap. Use wrap to pull sides of dough together to form a rounded disk. Chill at least 30 minutes before using.