Cherry Pie

Cherry Pie is your Uncle Roger's favorite thing in the world -- that and "cherries in the snow" -- which is also delightful itself!  I was not handed down a recipe for cherry pie so I found the below myself and it's great.  Easy and quick.  

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) package double crust ready-to-use pie crust or homemade
3 (15 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries, drained
1/2 cup flour
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
* red food coloring
*1 1/2 tablespoons tapioca

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees

In large bowl, mix 1 1/3 cups sugar and 1/2 cup flour. Stir in 3 cans of well-drained cherries and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract.  * Red food coloring:  add enough until the cherries go from a dull brownish color to a nice red.  Use judgment or, if you prefer, you may omit this step altogether.  Let mixture stand 3 to 5 minutes. 
  
In the meantime, sprinkle the tapioca over bottom of pie shell before adding cherry mixture and cut the second (top) pie crust into one-inch strips to make a lattice top.  Pour the cherry mixture into the pie shell -- *if a homemade shell, allow the bottom shell to overhang the pie plate.  If using a store bought crust, make sure after you make the lattice top or after laying the solid top pastry shell over filling, you finish each one appropriately according to which version you used (solid top or lattice top). See below on how to do the lattice.  The store bought top crust should be trimmed an inch beyond edge of pie plate and rolled under bottom trimmed crust and fluted. You should cut slits in the top of the solid crust to release steam.  Cover edge with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble out onto the lattice top or through the slits you've cut into the solid top.  Cool on cooling rack at least 2 hours before serving.

Directions on how to do the lattice top: 
Lay 5 pastry strips vertically across pie, spaced evenly.  Fold strips 2 and 4 back halfway and insert a new strip across center of pie, perpendicular to other strips.  Drop folded strips back over inserted strip.

Fold back strips 1, 3, and 5 and add another cross strip, leaving room between strips for filling to show through.  Lay folded strips flat again.  Continue from center out to edge of pie, weaving "lattice" top.  Repeat process on other half, again working from center out.  Gently press ends of strips to edge of bottom crust to adhere.  Trim lattice edges flush with rim of pie plate.

*Roll overhanging dough from bottom crust up over edge of lattice top.  Press to adhere and crimp.  Brush lattice with milk and sprinkle with about a tablespoon sugar -- this helps to brown nicely.  Remember to cover pie edge with foil to prevent too much browning and then remove during last 15 minutes of baking.

*Tapioca is used as a "thickening agent" to soak up excess liquid from the cherries.  It's difficult to know the exact amount to sprinkle into the bottom shell prior to filling -- it just depends on how much liquid comes from the cherries during baking -- so just start with above suggested amount of tapioca and then the next time you make the pie, add or decrease, whichever works best.