Page 354 - Pie Squared

or make them all the same size, but make a lot of cutouts. Dot them
across the surface of the pie filling, touching the edges and touching

each other. Sometimes my pies are thoroughly covered and other
times they are barely covered beyond the edges, but they will look
beautiful no matter what you do. Cherries are like that. Stir the egg
yolk, water, and sugar together and brush it generously across the

cutouts, avoiding the edges. If there is time, freeze or refrigerate the
pie one more time for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 425°F; if you have one, place a baking stone,
Baking Steel, or inverted baking sheet on the center rack to heat

(see here). Place the pie in the center of the oven (on a stone, steel,
or baking sheet if using). Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the
temperature to 375°F and bake until the fruit juices are bubbling and
the crust is toasty brown, about 45 minutes more. Place on a wire

rack to cool for at least 3 hours before serving.

Techniques: All-Butter Crust (here), Mixing and Rolling Out (here),
Lattices, Cutouts, Stamps, and Shapes (here)

Swaps:

Use a Butter and Shortening (here) or Leaf Lard Crust (here).

Granola Streusel (here) instead of a top crust.

Substitute frozen or jarred fruit for fresh. Add a handful of dried

cherries.

Swap in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the almond extract.