Sour Cherry Pie

Instructions

• Crust: Whirl flour with sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add lard and pulse 12 times until fine. Add butter and, while pulsing 7 or 8 times, quickly add ice water through the feed tube until dough just comes together. Divide in half, wrap each with plastic, then flatten into discs. Refrigerate 1 hr.

• Roll 1 disc on a lightly floured surface into a 13-in. circle. Transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Press dough over bottom and sides of plate, leaving an overhang. Roll second disc into a 13-in. circle and place on a baking sheet. Use a large maple leaf-shaped cookie cutter to cut a piece out of centre. Refrigerate both discs for 20 min.

• Position rack in bottom third of oven, then preheat to 425F.

• Filling: Stir granulated sugar with cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Add cherries and almond extract. Toss to coat. Add filling to pie plate. Drizzle with 5 tbsp sour cherry juice. Place dough circle over filling, with the maple leaf cut-out centred on pie. Trim off overhanging pastry, then use your thumb to press down around the edge to make a thinner crust. Crimp edges with a fork, then trim off overhanging pastry again. Brush top of pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

• Set pie on a baking sheet and bake in bottom third of oven for 20 min. Rotate pie 180 degrees and reduce heat to 350F. Cover with foil if browning too quickly and continue baking until filling is bubbly, 55 to 60 more min. Let stand until cool, at least 3 hours or overnight.