Recipe from Jason Foss, the pastry chef of the Landmark Restaurant, in Dallas’s Melrose Hotel.
Crust
4 3/4 cups (1 pound) pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) cold, unsalted butter,
cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small or medium egg, lightly beaten
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Combine flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture forms pea-size nuggets. Add egg and water, and mix just until dough holds together. Divide into 2 balls, press each into a disk about 5 inches in diameter, wrap each in plastic, and chill for at least an hour to firm up.
Filling
1 can (approximately 15 ounces) or 2 cups pitted pie cherries (not cherry-pie filling)
1 cup sugar
scant 1/4 cup flour (all-purpose or pastry)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter
egg wash (1 egg white whisked with about 1/2 teaspoon water), optional
In a saucepan, combine undrained cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring continually, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.
Place a cookie sheet in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out bottom crust and place in a 9-inch metal pie pan. Roll out top crust and cut into strips about 3/4-inch wide. Spoon cherry filling into pie shell and weave strips into a lattice topping. Brush dough lightly with egg wash. Bake on preheated cookie sheet at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and continue baking until crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
