Lattice-topped cherry and strawberry pie

Serves 8 Desserts and puddings

Advertisement

Method

To make the pastry, combine the butter and flour by rubbing them together with your fingertips in a bowl until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (alternatively, use a food processor). Add 2tbsp cold water and combine again. If the mixture is still dry and not coming together, add 2 more tbsp cold water and bring together until a dough forms. Form into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 180C F/Gas 6 and grease an 18cm pie dish with a little butter.

To make the filling, combine the chopped cherries, vanilla extract, sugar, lemon juice and cornflour in a pan over a medium heat and cook for around 5 minutes until the cherries start to soften. Stir through the jam and tip into the pie dish.

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a thickness of approx. 1cm and cut into long strips. Dampen the edge of the pie dish with a little water and stick some strips around the edge, then arrange the strips over the filling in the pie dish in a cross-hatch so they are an equal distance apart, with the same number of strips going vertically as horizontally, weaving them over and under each other to form a lattice, and attach to the pastry edge with a little water to stick.

Brush the beaten egg over the pastry strips, sprinkle sugar over the strips and put the dish on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C F/Gas 4 and cook for a further 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool a little before serving – you may need a spoon as the filling will ooze.