For home baker Barbara Biery, finding the fruit for her cherry pies usually involves a trip to a nearby farm market, many of which order sour cherries for home bakers and canners in the absence of local crops. Pulled from the freezer for a midwinter celebration, they glow from beneath a woven lattice-topped crust. In fact, Biery’s crust recipe remains the same, no matter what’s inside. “It’s something that my mom taught me a long time ago,” she says. “It’s just very basic: flour, shortening, a touch of salt and water. I don’t add any of the extra stuff. People will add a little bit of egg. Some people a little bit of vinegar, and I don’t do that.” Her cardinal rule for a flaky crust: “Don’t overwork it!” 

Luscious Lattice Cherry Pie
Recipe courtesy of Barbara Biery

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch or quick-cooking tapioca
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups fresh or frozen sour cherries
1 pastry for double crust pie (see recipe below)

DIRECTIONS
Stir together sugar and corn starch/tapioca and extract; add cherries and toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to form syrup. (If using frozen cherries let stand 45 minutes to partially thaw.) Prepare 9-inch pie shell. Pour in cherry mixture and form lattice top (see instructions below). Place pie on baking sheet. To prevent overbrowning, cover edges of crust with foil strips. Bake 375 F for 30 minutes (50 minutes for frozen fruit). Remove foil and bake 25 to 30 until bubbly and golden.

Flaky Pie Crust  
For 9- or 10-inch double-crust pie

INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
I cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt 
5 to 6 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS
Cut shortening into flour and salt until coarse, pea-sized crumbs form. Fork in the water. Be careful not to overwork. Form dough into two balls. Crust can be chilled or rolled out. For a lattice-top pie, roll top layer 1 inch beyond the edge of pie pan. Cut into 1/2-inch strips. Weave strips over filling in a lattice pattern, first laying strips in one direction, leaving space between each one. Give pie a quarter turn and fold back alternate strips as you weave remaining strips across. Trim off ends. Finish by moistening and laying strips on edge then crimp.