By Dawn Smith-Pfeifer
Yep. That's EXACTLY the right title. I could go down a very large rabbit hole here right now, because until I discovered this cherry cream pie recipe, I didn't think pie was easy at all.
But then Hubs and I went to the North Shore (Lake Superior, Minn.) and had a delicious blueberry cream pie that I literally still drool about when I relive that first bite. I started to think, "Hmmmm. I wonder if cream pies are easier than regular pies." So I "googled" it. Turns out the answer is a big yes, with a capital Y-E-S!
No lie. This IS the easiest pie recipe I have ever made. (Full disclosure: I don't remember who orginally posted this recipe, but THANK YOU because I don't do homemade pie crusts -- a substantial hint at my level of pie-making skills -- and your recipe is why easy pie makes me giddy!)
First of all, you don't have to have a crust top. I always hated that about regular cherry pie because getting the top crust to not end up looking like a hot mess is no easy task (for me, anyway). Crimping, venting and dusting are level two pie skills that I don't posess. I'm not a big fan of cherry pie anyway, so although a member of the family who shall remain nameless says, "Well, I like the regular cherry pie too," I will continue to make THIS version because -- EASY!
So, without further ado...
Easy Cherry Cream Pie
Ingredients
3 cups frozen cherries (thawed to room temp)
1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie pastry
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs beaten
2/3 cup sour cream
Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
Sliced almonds for garnish if desired
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Place 3 cups cherries into pie crust
Mix 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, and salt in a medium bowl. Add eggs and sour cream. Blend well. Pour mixture over cherries.
Topping
In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 cup butter and blend until similar to graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over pie. If you have them on hand, garnish with sliced almonds. (The almond-lovers in your family will be delighted!)
Bake for 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden.
And if you have a cherry tree, which I do, this is a perfect way to easily use up a bunch of cherries which you painstakingly pitted and froze earlier in the summer!