Cherry Pie With Almond Crumble Topping

Mmmm, a perfect breakfast of leftover pie!

This is a basic cherry pie, but instead of a top crust I used an almond crumble topping. The topping is from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book, in the recipe for Our Favorite Cherry Pie. I added toasted almonds to the crumble for an extra nutty kick.

Nothing warms my pie heart more than hearing people ask for a second slice! This recipe's definitely a keeper.

What you need:

Dough for a single-crust pie, chilled

Filling:

5-6 cups fresh or frozen cherries. If using frozen, thaw and drain completely

1 cup sugar (adjust amount depending on how sweet your cherries are!)

2 tsp cornstarch

Topping:

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

small handful chopped toasted almonds (optional)

What you do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, toss together the cherries, sugar, and cornstarch. With fruit pies you can add anywhere from 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar, and it really depends on how sweet the fruit is already, and how sweet or tart you like your pies to be. If in doubt, add a smaller amount and taste it. I tend to like my fruit pies on the less-sweet pie, but it's obviously a matter of personal taste.

Combine all the topping ingredients except the butter in a small bowl. Work in the butter with your fingertips until it's nice and crumbly.

Roll out your pie dough and place in a greased pie dish. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the cherries in to the crust. Spread the crumble topping over the whole thing. Bake on the bottom rack for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the fruit is bubbly. Let the pie cool for an hour before slicing.