Baby Cherry Pies

For the For the Crust

For crust, combine flour with salt. Cut in butter and shortening until dough is a rough crumbly texture.

Add lemon juice and water and blend just until dough comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

For filling, bring cherries, sugar and cinnamon up to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water and stir into cherries.

Cook until thickened, then remove from heat and cool.

For a regular pie, preheat oven to 200°C. Cut dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out once piece of dough into a circle large enough to fit a 9-inch pie pan.

Line pan with pastry and trim edges. Spoon cherry filling into shell. Roll out remaining dough to fit on top and cut a 1-inch hole in center of pie.

Brush pie with eggwash and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place pie onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 190°C and continue cooking until crust is a rich golden brown. Cool pie for an hour before slicing.

Alternately, for 12 mini pies, roll out two-thirds of dough and cut circles to line 12 regular muffin cups. Fill with cherry filling.

Roll out remaining dough and cut into 1/2 inch strips. On a lightly floured surface, make a lattice-top pattern then, with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter cut 12 lattice tops and with a spatula gently place each on pie filling, cinching edges gently.

Brush with eggwash, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 5 minutes at 190°C, then for about 25 minutes at 175°C.