February Pie - CHERRY

I chose cherry for two reasons: Valentine's Day and George Washington. I squeaked in the cherry pie on the last day of February and I'm pretty pleased. I'm becoming much better with the crust making, but the lattice could have been better. I found this recipe in Southern Living 1992 Annual Recipes book. ENJOY!

Lemony Cherry Pie

2 (16 oz) cans tart, red pitted cherries

1 c sugar

3 T cornstarch

2 T butter

1 T lemon juice

Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie

Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Set both aside.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan; stir in reserved cherry juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring contatnly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in cherries, butter, and lemon juice; cool.

Roll half of pastry to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; trim off excess pastry along edges. Pour cherry mixture into pastry shell.

Roll remaining pastry to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1/2 inch strips. Arrange in lattice design over cherries; trim strips even with edges. Moisten edge of piecrust with water, and gently press cutouts around edges. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.