Pie one on
By Rita DeMontis, Sun Media

Sour Cherry pie is Wanda Beaver's signature pie.

Wanda Beaver admits the movie Waitress brings back sweet memories of her early pie baking life. The tall, willowy blond comes by her talents naturally -- a gift when you think about it -- having baked her first pie at the age of 9 using cherries from her family's half-acre, fruit-filled land in St. Catharines, considered the heart of Canada's prime fruit-growing area.

"I was always passionate about baking," says Beaver, an award-winning cookbook author who helms the highly successful Wanda's Pie In the Sky wholesale and retail business (wandaspieinthesky.com). She's also in partnership with Dinah Koo of Koo & Co. in the successful Wanda's in the Kitchen with Dinah, at 1057 Mt. Pleasant Rd. Both offer everything from Dinah's full line of catering and home meal replacement along with Beaver's signature pies, cakes, cookies and tarts -- with cooking classes thrown in for good measure!

"No matter how busy I get, there's something so soothing about working with pastry dough, and creating all sorts of yummy goodies from the oven," Beaver says. Her best general rule? "Never get discouraged if the pie isn't picture-perfect. Get to know the dough, really feel it through your fingers. Practice does make perfect.

"And remember -- pie is good any time of the year. Take advantage of the seasonal offerings and fruits available," she says. "Pies shouldn't just be a special-occasion treat. Enjoy them any time!"

Try Beaver's signature pie recipe below.

DOUBLE CRUST PASTRY
Makes pastry for one 10-inch (25 cm) double crust pie


  • 2o cups (535 mL) all-purpose flour
  • o tsp. (1.2 mL) salt
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) shortening, cut into 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) pieces and frozen for 15 minutes
  • 1/3 cup (980 mL) cold water

Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor, pastry cutter and large bowl, combine flour, salt, butter and shortening. Process or cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest for 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut with about 15 strokes of pastry cutter, just until dough begins to stick together and come away from sides of bowl. Turn on to a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a short cylinder. Divide into T and S and press into disks. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow dough to warm slightly at room temperature if it's too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board, roll larger disk to a thickness of [-inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 11/2 inches (3.8 cm) larger than pie plate and transfer pastry to plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto rolling pin. Turn pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs about a 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) over plate. Roll second disk as directed by recipe.

SOUR CHERRY PIE
(Makes 8 servings)

Beaver absolutely adores cherries and "this is the first pie I ever baked. It was just 9 years old and yes, it's still my favourite. For me, sour cherries are the ideal fruit for a pie -- juicy, intensely flavoured and gorgeous to look at."

Prepare pastry as directed, setting aside smaller disk. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).

In a large bowl, mix together cherries, 1 cup (250 mL) sugar, cornstarch and almond extract.Turn into prepared crust, leaving room at edges for sealing and crimping pastry.

On a lightly floured board, roll out remaining disk of dough [-inch (.3 cm) thick. Cut into 14a-inch (1.8 cm) strips using a knife or decorative crimper. Cut three 1-inch (2.5-cm) cherries, three 2 by [-inch (5 by 3 cm) cherry stems and two 2-inch (5 cm) leaves out of remaining pastry.

Weave a lattice, beginning at centre of pie. Trim strips, seal and flute edges. Place decorative pastry cutouts to resemble 3 cherries joined into 2 leaves. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) sugar.

If time allows, chill for 30 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce temperature to 350F (175C). Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling in centre. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Store lightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.

  • 1 recipe Double Crust Pastry
  • 61/2 cups (1.6 L) pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen (check with your local grocery store or supermarket)
  • 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar (more or less, depending on tartness of cherries)
  • 3 Tbsp. (45 mL) cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) almond extract
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) cold water
  • 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) granulated sugar