How Do You Change An Opinion Ever So Firmly Set?

I am not a traditional holiday pie lover.  Pumpkin… pecan… easy for me to pass.  So with Christmas just days ahead I was not entirely sure what direction to take.  The last day for Week 10 happened to fall on the same day that my parents were flying into town, which made me think of my dad and his love for Cherry Pie.  While cherries may not be the typical Christmastime pie, it was going to be red, which I found that appropriate for the season, and Cherry Pies remind me of family, so why not? 

Now my husband is not a fan of Cherry Pie and I thought I might be able to dissuade him of this position if I made the best Cherry Pie.  Where do I go to find the best Cherry Pie?  The New Best Recipe Cookbook, of course! 

This recipe was exciting for me for two reasons:

1.       I would be making a lattice-top, which I had never tried before due to utter intimidation.

2.       I might be able to forever change my husband’s grudge against the Cherry Pie.

Sugar, Morello cherries, almond extract, salt, and flour.

Right away I was surprised to discover that the lattice-top was actually constructed first, and then placed on the top of the pie.  I had always assumed that the lattice had to be made on top of the pie and I had only ever made Grandma’s oil crust (which is very soft), so I could not fathom how to create the lattice effect without it ripping apart.  Another trick I learned was the use of the freezer for making the lattice firm enough to form the desired shape without ripping apart, as I had originally feared.  So with these breakthroughs in mind, the lattice was constructed with ease and I would gladly try it on another pie.  Intimidation factor denounced.

The filling for this pie uses jarred Morello cherries, which I purchased from a local Trader Joe’s store.  As I drained the juice from these cherries I wondered if one of the reasons my husband has turned his nose up at cherry pies was that all cherry pies he has had in the past have been made with the sticky cherry pie filling found in most baking aisles at grocery stores across the United States.  Again the challenge to dissuade my husband’s stance on Cherry Pie made me anxious to get this delight in the oven, so I could serve him a new perspective. 

Cherries ready for my previously made lattice top 

Placing the lattice top on the cherries

Oven-ready!

I am pleased to say that everyone enjoyed their first bites of this Cherry Pie.  The pie not only looked amazing, but tasted fabulous, too.  Unfortunately, after the first bites my husband had had enough.  I had not changed his mind about Cherry Pie.  He did, however, comment that it was the best he had tried.  While I may not have won that challenge, my parents and I slicked up the rest of that pie over the next three days without any trouble. 

Beautiful finished product!