You can make the cherry pie of your dreams. Here’s how

At age 28, I made my first pie from scratch, and it was incredible: a perfect apple pie.

The crust was flaky and golden brown and the filling perfectly cooked, with apples soft but not mushy. I immediately brought it to my grandma’s house, and she raved and raved about it (she may have even mentioned it was better than my mom’s apple pie, but we will never tell her that). And I’m pretty sure she ate the rest of it for dinner that night.

Brimming with confidence, I made another pie the next day: same recipe, same apples, same kitchen equipment. Alas, it was a total disaster.

Pies are tricky that way. We expect so much from them: a perfectly flaky crust (top and bottom!), an exterior that is not too light but not too golden brown, that is delicate yet rich in flavor, and a filling that is not too sweet but not too tart, and baked so the fruit is not too firm but not too soft. I don’t think Goldilocks was even this picky.

When it all bakes down, so much of pie baking depends on the fruit, and, well, fruit isn’t consistent. But after years of pie baking, I have landed on a technique that works for me. I first learned about it in “The Pie and Pastry Bible,” by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Her method involves tossing the peeled and sliced fruit with sugar, then letting it sit until the fruit releases its juice. After straining the juice, it is then boiled down into a syrup and mixed back in with the fruit. Releasing the fruit juice and then cooking it down helps control how much liquid is in the filling, which solves so many problems. The fruit syrup also is a more concentrated flavor, another benefit.

I have played on Beranaum’s idea, adding a bit more sugar to the syrup as it cooks, and sometimes adding liqueur, vanilla and a little butter. Sometimes heavy cream is mixed in, to balance the fruit’s sweetness or tartness. I also taste the syrup as I add ingredients, so I can balance flavor before adding it to the fruit, which ensures a perfect filling.

One more trick: I add a grated Gala apple to my pies; a peeled, grated apple contains a good amount of pectin, which helps thicken the filling. This means I don’t have to use as much cornstarch. The sweetness of the apple also balances any tart flavors in the filling without having to add extra sugar. I find it a win-win situation, and no one ever notices the apple in the pie.

Serves 10.

I almost always recommend fresh fruit for pies, but I’ve found frozen cherries to consistently work well (especially in the winter months). If using frozen, toss the cherries with the sugar and salt frozen, and let them sit until they come to room temperature (this may take a few hours).

Double-crust pie dough:

Pie filling:

For the pie crust: Put the butter in a small bowl and place it in the freezer. Fill a medium liquid measuring cup with water and add plenty of ice. Let both the butter and the ice water sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar and salt on low until combined. Add half of the chilled butter and mix on low until the butter is just starting to break down, about 1 minute. Add the rest of the butter and continue mixing until the butter is broken down and in various sizes (some butter will be incorporated into the dough, some will still be a bit large, but most should be about the size of small peas). Stop the mixer and use your hands to check for any large pieces of butter that didn’t get mixed or any dry patches of dough on the bottom of the bowl; break up the butter and incorporate the dry flour as best you can. With the mixer running on low, slowly add water a few tablespoons at a time and mix until the dough starts to come together but is still quite shaggy.

Dump the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and flatten it slightly into a square. Gather any loose/dry pieces that won’t stick to the dough and place them on top of the square. Gently fold the dough over onto itself and flatten again. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times, until all the loose pieces are worked into the dough, being careful not to overwork the dough. Flatten the dough one last time into a rectangle and cut into 2 pieces. Form the pieces into 6-inch squares and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

For the filling: Combine the cherries, grated apple, ½ cup (50 g) of sugar and salt in a large bowl. Let sit 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature.

Strain the sugary juice from the fruit into a medium saucepan (you should have at least ½ cup of juice). Return the fruit to the large bowl. Add ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar to the juices in the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to a scant ½ cup, about 5 to 6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to stir. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Stir in the kirsch, if using, and vanilla, then the heavy cream. Set aside to cool slightly.

To assemble: Lightly flour a large sheet of parchment paper and roll one piece of dough into a 17- by 13-inch rectangle. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Using the parchment paper, transfer one rectangle to a 13- by 9-inch jelly roll pan or quarter sheet pan. Press the dough into the pan; discard the parchment. Pour the filling on top of the dough and spread into an even layer. Using the parchment paper, place the second rectangle of dough on top of the filling; discard the parchment. Trim the dough overhangs to 1 inch past the lip of the pan. Pinch the dough together and tuck it under itself. Crimp the edges and cut several X-shaped vents across the top of the dough. Place the pan in the freezer for about 20 minutes while the oven is preheating. You want the crust to be nice and firm before you bake it.

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a baking sheet large enough to hold the jelly roll pan on the oven rack (the preheated baking sheet helps crisp the bottom of the pie crust and catches any leaks and drips).

When ready to bake, brush the top of the slab pie with egg wash and sprinkle with 1 or 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Put the pie plate on the preheated baking sheet and bake 25 minutes. Reduce the oven to 375 degrees and bake 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the juices bubble.

Transfer the slab pie in its pan to a wire rack and let cool at least 4 hours before serving. Serve with ice cream if desired.

Notes: If you like some sour cherries mixed in, you can replace a cup or two of the sweet cherries with them. If your cherries are still releasing a lot of juice when the cooked juice is added back to them, add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch (for a total of 5 tablespoons) to the fruit mixture.