Pecan Pie with Dried Cherries

I’ve been making pies for over 30 years and I can safely say this is one of the very best! Perfect for the holidays! Port infused, tart cherries make a delicious addition to this sweet delicious classic! Make it easy on yourself and use a store-bought crust or follow my easy recipe for a homemade one. Either way, this pie is insanely delicious!

Ingredients:
Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/4 tsp of baking powder
• 5 Tbs of very cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 – 6 Tbs of ice water

Filling

• 1 1/4 cups of dried tart cherries, chopped
• 1/2 cup of port wine
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar
• 2/3 cup of corn syrup
• 3 large room temperature eggs
• 1/2 stick of butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°

Start by making the crust, or if you’re using a store bought, skip down to the filling. Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the food processor, pulse a few times then add in the butter and pulse until it looks like crumbs. Add 4 Tbs of ice water and pulse to form moist clumps, add more water if needed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.Shape the dough into a round, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.For the filling: In a small saucepan, over medium/high heat, add the cherries and the port. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 7 minutes or until the port is absorbed, stirring often, remove from the heat. Let cool. Using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, melted butter, and the vanilla, until well combined.Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the pecans and the port-soaked cherries.Roll out the dough to roughly an 11″ circle. Transfer to a pie plate, trim to fit and crimp the edges using your thumb and forefingers.Pour the filling into the crust and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for 55- 60 minutes until the filling is just set in the middle.As always, if the crusts start to get too brown, cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking. Cool completely. Delicious with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream! Bon Appetit!