“Nothing sums up a summer holiday weekend quite like a classic cherry pie. With the 4th of July quickly approaching this tart and tangy dessert will put the cherry on top of any backyard barbecue.” − Claire Matern, founder of www.acheesemongersdaughter.com

Classic Cherry Pie
For the crust:
2 cups/250g all-purpose flour
3oz/85g butter, chilled and cubed
3oz/85g lard, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold water
*if you want to make a lattice design on top I’d suggest making a double recipe (or at least cut that in half so you have another half amount) of the above dough so we have enough to play around with. Any extra can be wrapped up and frozen.

For the filling:
3 cups/700g fresh sour cherries, pitted
1/2 cup/100g sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch

For the crust:
1. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with the lard and butter using a pastry blender, your hands, a large fork, or two butter knives until they become the mealy/sandy texture.
2. Add the water to the mixture.
3. Knead the mixture until it comes together into a smooth ball and tightly wrap in two sheets of cling film. Place in the fridge for at least an hour to rest.

For the filling:
1. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the cherries with the sugar and cornstarch, stirring well until everything is covered.
2. Set aside as you roll out the pie crust. This is also a good time to preheat the oven to 375F/190C

To assemble the pie:
1. Roll out the bottom crust and fit it into your pie pan, trimming the edges or crimping it with your thumb.
2. Add the filling and plop (technical word) 4 or 5 small cubes of butter around the cherries (optional)
3. Roll out the rest of the dough and add on top of the filling in any design you fancy.
4. Brush the top with a little milk and pop in the oven for an hour or until the top begins to have that lovely, wonderful and perfect pie crust color.

For more great recipes from Claire Matern:
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