Cherry pie is probably one of the most American desserts there is. It’s one of those all-American pies, if you will. Likewise, crumble cake is one of those very German affairs (mostly filled with apples, poppy seeds and/or pudding). As this is a German-American fusion household, it only made sense to have a pie that represents both cultures. Plus, I am a complete chocoholic and therefore it makes sense to make it a chocolatey crumble cherry pie.
I’m not trying to turn this sweet piece of complete indulgence into something it’s not, but did you know that cherries are incredible health boosters? They’re full of antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory, for instance. They are also one of the few natural foods that contain melatonin, the sleep hormone, making cherries a good fruit of choice for people with insomnia.
Servings: 12 * Preparation time: 30 min * Start to finish: 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients for the dough
- 1 & 3/4 cups and 2 tablespoons (13 ounces/370 grams) of flour
- 3/4 cups (5.3 ounces/150 grams) of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch of salt
- A bit of butter and flour for the pie mold
- 9 inch (22 cm) pie mold
Ingredients for the filling
- 1 lb. (480 grams) of pitted sour cherries
- ¾ of a cup (5.3 ounces/150 grams) of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla aroma
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of corn starch
- ½ a cup of water
Add the flour, sugar, cocoa, egg, butter and salt to a large bowl and combine it with a hand mixer, using the dough hooks. Then, prepare a pie mold using the cooking spray or butter. Use 2/3 of the dough and either roll it out on a floured surface or form it into the pie mold right away. I tend to use the latter option, but if you really want to make sure your dough is evenly thick, you should roll it out first.
For the filling, start by mixing the water and corn starch and set it aside. Cook the cherries with the sugar and lemon juice in a pot on medium heat. Make sure to continuously stir while the sugar dissolves. When that is the case, add the corn starch water and mix it well. Make sure it doesn’t boil. Cook it for about 3-5 minutes until the filling has thickened and looks glossy. Take it off the heat and pour it into the prepared pie crust.
As for the crumble topping, take the remaining 1/3 of the dough and crumble it with your fingers onto the pie. Now it essentially comes down to personal preference as to whether you go for bigger crumbles that cover the cake loosely or opt for smaller crumbles that cover the entirety of the cake.
Bake the cherry pie in the pre-heated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit/175 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes.
The best way to serve cherry pie is with vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Healthier cherry pie tip
This cake also works without the crumble pie crust. In that case, first butter the pie mold and then coat the surface with flour. All you need in for that is a third of the original dough for the crumble topping. Luckily, the dough lends itself to storage in the freezer. Simply divide the remaining 2/3rds in half and freeze it in two separate bags for future use.
Looks like a yummy springtime treat!