Rustic Pocket Cherry Pies

A couple of weeks ago I was ready to go and had a line-up of things planned I wanted to try in the kitchen.  Ingredients stocked and fresh produce abound I was not prepared to have my kitchen inaccessible for what feels like months.   I’ve had a clamshell of beautiful, bright and firm summer cherries just waiting to be put to creative use that I had intended for them.    These Rustic Pocket Cherry Pies were not part of the original plan, but I would make Sandra Lee proud by adding the words “Semi-Homemade.”

This afternoon I was done with being kept out of my kitchen for all culinary intent and purposes so I put together these mini-cherry pies.  Perfectly portion controlled size that’s a great idea when I want a little dessert (pun intended) or a quick put-together for a guest or two.

• I found a cherry/olive pitter by Oxo – great price at Bed Bath & Beyond.   What a gem!  I’ve been reading on other Foodie sites how some wished they had a cherry pitter and that by the time they were finished pitting cups of fresh cherries, their kitchens resembled the aftermath of a gruesome crime scene.     If you like to use fresh cherries in your dishes (whether it’s salads or baked goods), I highly recommend a pitter.
• Using preserves would’ve worked too, but the charm of this is rustic and using things on hand that you already have in your freezer, fridge and pantry.
• You could cut the cherries in half before placing between dough rounds.
• If the fresh cherries you’re using are deliciously sweet already, you could skip adding the tablespoon of sugar.
• Conveniently, I had some frozen pie crusts in my freezer, so this quick dessert took less than 45 minutes to make – prep and bake time.
• I used a lattice pocket pie mold I found at Williams-Sonoma, but you could easily create these little mini-pies by cutting out 4-5 inch round of pie dough for both the top and bottom, fill and then crimp edges by using a fork around the edges.  Remember to create a couple of air holes by either piercing the top crust with a fork or slits with a knife.