Love is in the air! Staying in this Valentine’s Day? Make your sweetheart this heart shaped cherry pie. Valentine’s Day is a great day to stay in and make your own meal, instead of going out for an over-priced pre-fixe menu. This simple cherry pie also can be made the day before so you don’t have to worry about rushing around on the 14^th. Top with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect Valentine’s Day treat.

Ingredients: 

2 rolled-out rounds of deep-dish piecrust, chilled

1 cup sugar

2 Tbs. arrowroot

2 Tbs. cornstarch

Pinch of salt

2 lb. sweet cherries, such as Royal Ann, Bing or Rainier, pitted

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions: 

1. Fit 1 dough round into a deep dish pie dish. I used this one from Williams Sonoma but you can use a round one (your pie just won’t be heart shaped). Cut 7 strips out of the remaining dough round to use for the lattice top. Reroll the scraps and make decorative cutouts using piecrust cutters. Refrigerate the dough-lined pie dish, dough strips and cutouts for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss together the sugar, arrowroot, cornstarch and salt. Add the cherries and stir gently to combine. Let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F.
4. Let the pie shell, dough strips and cutouts stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Transfer the filling to the pie shell. Create a woven lattice top, using the longer dough strips near the center of the pie and the shorter ones near the edges. Trim the edges flush with the rim of the dish. Brush the underside of the cutouts with the egg wash and gently press them onto the edges of the piecrust and on top of the lattice as desired. Brush the entire top crust with egg wash.
5. Bake the pie for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake until the juices bubble thickly and the crust is golden, 55 to 60 minutes more; cover the edges with aluminum foil if they begin to darken.
6. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. Serves 8.