August Goals (and apricot cherry pie)

I meant to tell you about this cherry pie weeks ago.  Before I moved for the first time this summer, and before I hit critical mass with my courses.  The bottom was layered with apricots, baked in the only pie dish not packed yet, and cut with my finest silver. Obviously. 

See, when you score cherries for the deal I did (the deal of the summer, weeks ago, when they were at their peak), and you already packed all ten of your pie plates (yes, I really have ten, anywhere from 2"-9" in diameter) you just make do. You borrow a cup of sugar from your neighbor, some corn starch, and then you don't use enough of it because you're trying to eyeball a tablespoon since all of those are packed too, and it seems like a lot because its corn starch and you don't want the thing to gum up.  So even though this apricot cherry pie was a little bit liquid-y, it didn't exactly go to waste.  Pie? yes, make do would be the term. 

Now, I know we've been pretty lazy this summer on the blog front. My sister has no excuse for the lack of blog writing. I certainly don't think 60 hour work weeks are an excuse for shirking your internet public! Me, on the other hand, well, I work a measly forty hours and took two college courses this summer. J Fierce, on a consistent 7 hours of sleep a night? Not a pretty sight.


However, in the three weeks between summer finals and fall courses beginning, I have some goals for my kitchen. They're not lofty like my sister's 2010 goals (i think she has checked off four of them. Five actually, and a sixth she hasn't told you about), but they'll do.
Without further ado: Make

1. a tiramisu that will make our Italian sister proud
2. Use up some of the thirty new sets of muffin liners (I have some REALLY cute ones) (you know you have a good roommate when she's not scared of you for having an entire drawer devoted to muffin liners)
3. Actually post some of the adventures here. With photos. 
   PS: Did you note the flakiness in that pie crust? Mmm. I swear I will post pie-crust-making directions. In September. September 2012.

Apricot Cherry Pie


Adapted from Pie Pie Pie: Easy Homemade Favorites (want to know how I found the page in the cookbook? its the one with all the now-purple splatterings from pitting cherries over the pages) 

Pie crust for 9" double crusted pie 

2/3 c sugar (less if your cherries are super sweet like mine) 

3 tablespoons cornstarch 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

6 cups pitted sweet cherries (about 2 pounds) 

3-4 apricots, thinly sliced 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 

Method: 

In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch until evenly mixed. Add pitted cherries and stir to coat. This recipe calls for 6-8 drops of almond extract. The one time I used it, I was not impressed; now I just leave it out.  You can too, it will be fine. 

Arrange the apricots attractively along the bottom of your pie pan (that has been lined with dough. September. I'll get to the dough in September). Sprinkle with sugar. Pile the coated cherries on top. Scatter the butter over the fruit. 

Now, cover with the top crust. Make sure you seal it well (ahem, September. Tips in September). Cut several holes to vent in the top layer. If you're cutesy like me, use cookie cutters to make something pretty. I went with the ever-so-subtle cherry motif.  No one will guess what kind of pie I made! 

Bake for 25 minutes at 425F, then reduce the temperature to 350F. Bake for 25-30 minutes more, until the juices are bubbling and the crust is well browned. Put a knife through the vent-if it easily pierces (fierces?) a cherry, its done! Use as bait for moving help.