my mom's cherry pie

I grew up in a pie-eating family. My Grandma McKown, my Dad's mom, was an excellent pie maker. She is a southern girl and knew how to make meringue pies and pecan pie and all the fruit pies ever. But oh, her Chocolate Cream pie was my favorite. Then, there is my own amazing mother. She is somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to, well, everything she makes. Pies are no exception. Her pecan is to die for, and apple! and pumpkin! She cans her own pumpkin. I'm not one to forget about the few family traditions we have had throughout the years. So I decided to be a pie maker too. I've made pies throughout my years of being on my own and I really love doing it. I'm not a perfectionist in any way. With anything that I do. I wish I was more of one, but I'm not. I just thoroughly enjoy making a pie in the kitchen with my girls playing on the ground in my sight. (Or crying at my feet, whichever).

Cherry Pie. I want to say that I know that some people don't like Cherry Pie. But that is because they never had my Mom's cherry pie. I think out of all of hers, it's my favorite. Because not only does she make the cherry filling from scratch (never use that canned filling with the hot pink syrup, EW!) but she makes them so beautiful! When I make them they are not as beautiful, they are funny looking, but many people have said they were yummy. And that is what i'm going for here by the way.

Martha Stewart Perfect Pie Crust:
Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling dough

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons ice water, plus 2 more, if needed

Directions:

-In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces remaining.

-Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overprocess.

-Turn dough out onto a work surface; form dough into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

-Before baking, unwrap dough; place on a large piece of floured waxed paper. Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Using paper, lift and wrap dough around rolling pin (discarding paper); carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate.

-Trim overhang to 1 inch; fold overhang under itself. Pinch between thumb and forefinger to make a uniform edge around the rim. Crimp edge; refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

My Mom's Cherry Filling

Ingredients: 

3 cups Red Tart Cherries in Water(Drained)
1 1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. almond flavoring

Directions: 

-Put cherries in a bowl with sugar and mix. Let sit while pie crust is chilling
-When crust is ready pour off half of the juice from the cherries
-Add flour and mix slightly
-Pour in crust and sprinkle almond flavor on top of cherries.
-Add top crust (design how you like)*
-Bake at 450 degrees for 40-50 mins*

*i did a criss cross top for my crust this time... like i said, funny looking. but its fun to try out different tops. make sure you dab butter and sprinkle sugar on top before baking.
*you might want to add some foil to the edges so it doesn't burn before the center is done baking.