When it comes to beer and food pairing, savory often trumps sweet in the popularity department. There’s a great delight, however, that comes from working creatively with the latter. All About Beer Magazine asked renowned pastry chef Tina Russo Kinney for her suggestion as to what would pair well with this issue’s featured beer: the hoppy wheat. Her recipe for cherry almond pie, complete with almond-infused crust, plays into the fruity and toasty aspects of the style.
Ingredients
For the crust:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, cubed and frozen
½ teaspoon almond extract
2-3 tablespoons ice-cold water
1/8 cup sliced almonds, divided
For the filling:
5 cups fresh, pitted cherries
1¾ cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon almond extract
Preparation
Make the crust. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture will be coarse. Add the almond extract and slowly add the water and incorporate into the mixture until it has come together. Form a disk with the dough, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Once chilled, roll the dough in a circle to 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. The dough should be 12 to 13 inches in diameter for a 9-inch pie plate. Move the dough to the pie plate and gently press about half of the almonds into the crust as you crimp the edges. Place pie in the freezer until you are ready to use it. Cold crusts make for flakier pies!
Make the pie. Set oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, allow the cherries to cook while covered. Most of the juice will escape the cherries. As they cook, whisk the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.
Slowly whisk the mixture into the cherries, add the almond extract, and reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook the mixture, stirring frequently. Once the mixture becomes thick and starts to bubble, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Remove pie shell from the freezer and add cherry mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle remainder of sliced almonds on the top of the pie.
Bake for 45 minutes or until the edges of your crust are golden brown. Cool and enjoy!
Tina Russo Kinney is the owner and pastry chef at Mudd Pie Girl Bakery in Charleston, South Carolina, which she owns with her husband, Bill, and daughter, Talia Ann. A full-service bakery specializing in pies, Mudd Pie Girl Bakery makes over 75 different pies, both savory and sweet. When the family’s not baking, they are spending time with their five rescue dogs.