American classic: The enduring charm of cherry pie

"American as cherry pie" – sounds like a famous saying. No wonder, as cherry pie is one of the symbols of the United States, often appearing in literature, songs, or movies. This dessert tastes best in the summer when we can access fresh cherries. How to prepare it?

It is difficult to count all the songs in which the theme of cherry pie appears. Cherry pie, a synonym of home warmth and hospitality, has been sung about by Jennifer Lopez and Sade, among others, and also mentioned by the author of the folk song "Billy Boy." The treat appears in numerous movies, such as the memorable scene of the contest for eating the most pies from the classic film "Stand by Me."

Although cherry pie is inseparably associated with the United States, its roots should be sought rather in Europe. The ancient Romans already baked fruit pies, but the first written recipe for a cherry dessert comes from a 14th-century English cookbook, "The Forme of Cury." According to the recipe at that time, the pie was stuffed with cherries mixed with sugar, wine, and spices.

British Queen Elizabeth I reportedly liked a pie resembling today's cherry pie. Over time, the pie also became popular among lower social classes. Settlers brought the recipe for this dessert with them as they populated North America. Cherries thrived in the local climate, making cherry pie a typical dessert for newcomers from the Old Continent.

In the 19th century, the pie gained immense popularity in the United States, becoming one of the most important symbols of American cuisine. To this day, it is baked both for special occasions, e.g., Thanksgiving or Independence Day, and during ordinary weekends, such as gatherings around the BBQ.

Americans also love ready-made cherry pies, which can be purchased frozen in almost every store or supermarket. Its parameters are stipulated in a special regulation that specifies that cherries must constitute a minimum of 25% of the content. However, such products also contain artificial "enhancers".

A far better solution is to prepare the American classic yourself. How to do it?

Of course, cherries are the base of cherry pie. Americans often use varieties with a rather sour taste, which works well with sugar and other filling ingredients.

Cherries are rich in valuable nutrients such as flavonoids, which have an intensive effect on free radicals formed, for example, in stressful situations or inflammatory states of the body. Anthocyanins—plant pigments that benefit vision and act as anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, protective against cardiovascular diseases, and neuroprotective—are also strong antioxidants.

Fruits are rich in vitamins (especially vitamin C), as well as fibre, which regulates the work of the intestines and the entire digestive system, lowers the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol (its excess contributes to the development of serious cardiovascular diseases: atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, or stroke) and provides a feeling of satiety, important for people dealing with obesity and lipid metabolism disorders.

We start by preparing the shortcrust pastry. We carefully knead sifted wheat flour (625 mL), cold butter (250 g), ice-cold water (60 mL), sugar (a teaspoon), and a large pinch of salt until we obtain a smooth mass. We form it into a ball and set it aside in the refrigerator for an hour.

In the meantime, we prepare the filling — in a large bowl; we mix washed and pitted cherries (1.25 L), fine sugar (250 mL), cornstarch (60 mL), and lemon juice (15 mL). We set it aside for fifteen minutes to let the cherries release their juice.

We take the pastry out of the refrigerator, leave it at room temperature for about fifteen minutes, then divide it into two pieces (one smaller) and roll it out. We line a tart mould, previously greased with butter, with the larger piece. We pour the cherry filling, smooth it out, and place chunks of butter on the surface.

We cut the other piece of pastry into strips, which we use to cover the filling. We brush with beaten egg. We bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 20 minutes. Then we reduce the temperature to 175°C, baking for another 40-50 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles.

Before serving, we cool the cherry pie for at least 2 hours to let the filling set.