Can she bake a cherry pie?

Nothing breaks my heart like learning I've missed the narrow window opening of tart cherry season. When I heard the news that cherries were done I nearly wept. Fortunately last weekend a heroic farmer brought enough flats of tart cherries to St. Paul's Market to sooth my pain, and we celebrated with pie.

Tart Cherry Pie
1 (2 crust) pie pastry (from your favorite recipe)

5 cups pitted sour cherries
1 1/3 cups sugar1 1/2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch or quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix up pie pastry for 2-crust pie. Push bottom pastry into pie plate and set aside.

Combine sour cherries, sugar, cornstarch, bitters, almond extract, and salt and let stand 15 minutes.

Pour in fruit mixture into bottom crust and dot with butter pieces. Cover with top crust, seal the edge, trim and flute. If using a closed-top crust, cut steam vents. Sprinkle a bit of sugar over top pie crust.

Bake pie for 10 minutes in preheated 450 degree F oven. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until thick juices bubble through vents, 40 minutes more. Let cool completely on a rack before serving.

Serve with 1 cup heavy whipped cream beaten until stiff with 1/4 cup sour cream, a few tablespoons powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Adapted from "Joy of Cooking" Sour Cherry Pie recipe.