Dark Cherry Crumble Pie

All-butter crust

• ·1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ·1 tbsp granulated sugar
• ·½ tsp kosher salt
• ·10 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
• ·4 tbsp ice water, plus more as needed

Cherry filling

• ·2½ lb dark sweet cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
• ·½ cup granulated sugar
• ·3 tbsp cornstarch (or 4 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca)
• ·2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ·½ tsp almond extract
• ·¼ tsp kosher salt

Crumble topping

• ·1 cup all-purpose flour
• ·½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ·½ cup rolled oats
• ·½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ·8 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
• ·¼ tsp kosher salt

Crust

1. 1

   Pulse or whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter until the largest pieces are the size of small almonds — visible butter is what makes the crust flaky.

2. 2

   Drizzle in the ice water and toss just until the dough holds together when squeezed. Do not knead.

3. 3

   Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.

4. 4

   Roll to a 12-inch round, fit into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edge and freeze 20 minutes. Freezing before baking is what prevents shrinkage.

Filling and topping

1. 1

   Fresh cherries: pit them and use as is. Frozen: thaw completely in a colander set over a bowl, then reduce the drained juice in a saucepan to 1/4 cup and add it back — this concentrates flavor instead of flooding the crust.

2. 2

   Toss the cherries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract and salt. Cornstarch gives a glossy set; tapioca gives a slightly softer, more old-fashioned one.

3. 3

   Rub the crumble ingredients together with your fingertips until clumpy, with pieces ranging from pea to hazelnut size. Chill until needed.

Bake and cool

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 425°F with a sheet pan on the lower rack.

2. 2

   Fill the frozen shell with the cherries, mound the crumble over the top, and set the pie directly on the hot sheet pan.

3. 3

   Bake 20 minutes at 425°F, then reduce to 375°F and bake 50 to 60 minutes more, until the filling bubbles thickly in the center — bubbling at the edges alone is not done.

4. 4

   Shield the crust edge with foil if it browns early.

5. 5

   Cool at least 4 hours before slicing. A warm cherry pie will run; a fully cooled one slices in clean wedges.