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A Free-Form Bourbon Soaked Cherry Pie on a tray

Overview

Life is confusing at the moment. Life is more than confusing at the moment. It is stressful, and scary, and devastating, and filled with emotions I can’t even put into words. And I know that it is just life. These moments come and  these moments go and this won’t be the last time. I know that for certain.

A slice of Free-Form Bourbon Soaked Cherry Pie with ice cream

And it’s moments like these where it’s easy to question myself. But it’s also times like these where strength I didn’t know I had is summoned. And that is what I’m trying to focus on. I am stronger than I know. I can deal with more than I believe I can. It will get better. And there is always pie.

Cherries being pitted with a knife

I absolutely love pie. And my love for pie crust is even bigger than my love for pie. And my love for bourbon is even bigger than my love for pie crust. You see where I’m going with this? But I fully admit have never been very good at making a pretty pie crust. That’s why “free-form” pies or galettes are the perfect solution. There is absolutely no skill required in folding this crust over itself after filling it. And if you just call it “rustic” it looks like it is intentionally messy. Which it is.

I am the kind of person who loves crust more than the filling. And I don’t really want it to be sweet either. It is the perfect savory, buttery balance to the filling. This is a crust lovers pie. Each piece has tons of buttery crust and it is so over-the-top flaky. Just perfect.

Also, a cherry pitter is helpful. Does anyone have one of those? I don’t have one. So I cut each cherry in half and mangled them to get the pits out. Another alternative to a cherry pitter is to hammer a clean nail into a piece of wood and press the cherry down over the head of the nail to push the pit out. I remembered this trick after I manhandled the cherries…

A slice of Free-Form Bourbon Soaked Cherry Pie with ice cream

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other fruit pie recipes.

You might also like to try these other delicious cherry recipes.

A slice of Free-Form Bourbon Soaked Cherry Pie with ice cream

Cherry Galette (free-form pie)

This free-form pie is made without a pie plate and can be made with sweet or sour cherries!

Ingredients

For the Homemade Crust (or use a store-bought pie crust)

  • 180 grams (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 grams (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 85 grams (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold
  • 30 grams (2 ½ tablespoons) shortening, *see note below
  • 57-85 grams (4-6 tablespoons, 60-90 milliliters) ice water

For the Filling

  • 900 grams (2 pounds) fresh or frozen pitted cherries, this is the weight after the pits have been removed
  • 150 grams (¾ cup) if using sweet cherries OR 200 grams (1 cup) if using sour cherries granulated sugar
  • 30 grams (¼ cup) cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 30 grams (2 tablespoons) lemon or orange juice
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional

For the egg wash

  • 1 large egg
  • 14 grams (1 tablespoon) water
  • turbinado (raw) or granulated sugar

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Read through this recipe in its entirety to get a feel for the workflow. 
  2. Measure out all of the ingredients.
  3. Cut the cold butter (85 grams/ 6 tablespoons) for the pie crust into small pieces, about ½-inch (1 cm) size. Make sure it is very cold. If it has started to warm up, you can place it in the freezer for a few minutes before starting. 

Make the Pie dough:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour (180 grams/ 1 ½ cups), salt (½ teaspoon), and sugar (12 grams/ 1 tablespoon).
  2. Add the shortening (30 grams/ 2 ½ tablespoons) and cold butter to the bowl and toss with your hands so all of the fat is coated with flour. Use the tips of your fingers and thumbs to press down on all of the pieces of fat, creating little sheets of fat throughout your mixture. If it feels like the fat is starting to melt, pop the bowl in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before continuing. Continue working the fat through the flour until all of the fat has been worked through and ranges in size from peas to walnuts throughout. 
  3. Add the ice water (57-85 grams/ 4-6 tablespoons) little by little into the mixture. Fold the mixture gently with a silicone spatula to incorporate. Use a light hand to slowly hydrate the flour as you add more water. You may not need all of the water. Once large clumps of dough start forming, gather the dough up and press it together. If it crumbles then you need to add a little more water. If it holds together then you are ready to chill the dough. 
  4. Bring the dough together on your counter and press into one mass and knead very gently for one or two turns to bring it into a cohesive dough.
  5. Press flat into a round disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and the flour to fully hydrate. 

Prep the oven:

  1. Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and place a sheet pan or baking stone inside to preheat. The galette will bake on the preheated surface which will prevent a soggy crust.  Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C. 

Make the Filling:

  1. If using frozen cherries, thaw completely and drain the excess juices off so that the filling is not too soupy.
  2. Prepare the cherries by removing the pits and cutting them in half.
    Combine the cherries (900 grams/ 2 cups), granulated sugar (150 grams/ ¾ cup if using sweet cherries OR 200 grams/ 1 cup if using sour cherries), cornstarch (30 grams/ ¼ cup), salt (¼ teaspoon), lemon or orange juice (30 grams/ 2 tablespoons), and almond extract (½ teaspoon) if using. Gently stir with a spoon or spatula until everything is evenly incorporated.
  3. Add mixture to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Make sure all of the sugar is melted.
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5-8 minutes stirring often. Cook long enough that it thickens up but not so long that the fruit breaks down too much.
  5. Let the mixture cool down while you roll out the pie dough.

Assemble and bake:

  1. On a lightly floured countertop, roll out the pie dough into a circle about 12-13 inches (30-33 cm) wide. Move the pie dough onto a piece of parchment paper and place on a sheet pan.
  2. Spoon the cooled filling into the center of the dough leaving about 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) on all edges free from filling.
  3. Gently fold over the edges of the crust towards the center. Overlap the sides and gently press to seal.
  4. Make the egg wash by combining the egg (1 large) and water (14 grams/ 1 tablespoon) together and whisk vigorously until well combined and very smooth. Brush the top of the pie dough with egg wash and sprinkle with additional sugar for texture.
  5. Place the sheet pan on top of the preheated surface in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the crust is a deep golden brown.
  6. Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve warm or room temperature with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

*If you don't have shortening on hand, make an all-butter crust by swapping the amount of shortening this recipe calls for and add additional butter.

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© Bettie
Category: All Recipes