1 quart stemmed and pitted cherries
1 1/5 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
sprinkle of nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger, optional
2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated trans fat free butter spread
Bottom pie crust:
1 1/5 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter spread
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
Optional top crumble pie crust:
1/4 cup melted butter spread
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
Preheat the oven to 425F. For the bottom pie crust, just mix the flour, salt and softened butter spread right in the pie pan. Add sugar if you like your crust a little sweeter. Mix well until crumbly. Add the water in small amounts about 1 tablespoon each time. Mix well with a fork. You could roll out the dough between two sheets on waxed paper; or just flatten it right into the pie pan with a spoon and my clean fingers. Chill while mixing the filling. If you want to prebake this crust for any reason, bake at 375F for about 10 minutes or until golden. For the filling, mix the fresh and pitted cherries in a large bowl with the sugar to sweeten. Then add the flour and salt and toss lightly. Add the lemon juice and almond extract as well as whatever other spices you decide to throw in. Spoon into the pie shell. As far as a top piecrust, you can either double the recipe for the bottom crust and split into two parts or use the following recipe for a crumble crust which is easier, or leave exposed. For the optional crumble pie crust, mix the melted butter spread into the premixed flour and brown sugar. Mix until well coated and wetish looking. Sprinkle this on top of the cherries; cover lightly and do not mix. Place into the oven for 35 to 45 minutes until the bottom piecrust looks golden and the pie is a little bubbly. If you have the time, it is slightly better to add the crumble crust about 15 to 20 minutes into the baking or it could get a little too hard. Let cool and enjoy. Serves 6 to 8.
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