Bitchin' Recipes: Tart Cherry and Pecan Pie

This pie is one of my favorite go-to recipes because it is made entirely from pantry staples (if you start to view a can of tart cherries as a "staple"—which you will after making this pie). If you've got all the ingredients on hand, you can throw together this pie in a matter of minutes, which can be a huge asset when you've put all your time and resources into your main dish. Another plus to this recipe is that even the most baking-averse can manage to put it together and look like a hero.

Thank you to my Madison friend, Sue, who gave me this recipe 10 years ago. A self-professed reluctant cook, this pie is one of the only things that I ever saw Sue make. She doesn't even bother with a real pie-pan when making it, opting, instead, for a throwaway tinfoil pie-pan from the grocery store. Personally, I opt for a pyrex pie dish because I don't want to lose one teeny bit of the custard-y, gooey goodness that makes up the bulk of this pie.

Cherry Pecan Pie
For the crust:
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine ingredients in a medium bowl with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. Pour ingredients into 9" pie dish and press, with fingers, into bottom and at least 3/4 of the way up the side of the pan. Bake for 25 minutes or just until it starts to turn golden. Set aside and let cool.

For the filling:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded coconut (like Angel)

1 14.5oz can tart cherries, including juice

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. Stir in the remaining ingredients until combined. Pour all into pie crust and bake for about 40 minutes. The pie should still wobble a little bit when you take it out, but it is still delicious if you leave it in until it is completely set and unmovable. It is not a fussy pie, it will taste good in any state before "burnt." 

Let the pie cool for approximately half an hour before eating. FYI: Vanilla ice cream is a perfect accompaniment.

Enjoy!