Name: Cherry Slab Pie
Yield: 10, 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1 teaspoons lemon juice; 18 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 16-24 pieces ((255 grams)); 10 heaping cups pitted sweet cherries ((1300 grams)); 1 cup peeled and grated Gala apple, about 2 small apples ((150 grams)); 1/2 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup, plus 1-2 tablespoons for sprinkling; 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional); 4 tablespoons cornstarch (see note); Egg wash ((1 egg, 1 tablespoon water, and a pinch of salt whisked together))

Cherry Slab Pie

Low Salt Diet

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This summer inspired cherry slab pie has a super flaky all-butter crust, and a little cream in the filling to make it special. I also add a grated apple to every pie I make (except, apple pie, ha). This is a trick I learned from Cooks Illustrated: a peeled, grated apple contains a good amount of pectin, which helps thicken the filling. This means I don't have to use as much cornstarch. The sweetness of the apple also balances any tart flavors in the filling without having to add extra sugar. I find it a win-win situation, and no one ever notices the apple in the pie.

By: Thevanillabeanblog (via Thevanillabeanblog)

Original Publish: May 25, 2019

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Yields: 10, 10 servings

Instructions

Put the butter in a small bowl and place it in the freezer. Fill a medium liquid measuring cup with water and add plenty of ice. Let the both the butter and the ice water sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, and salt on low until combined. Add half of the chilled butter and mix on low until the butter is just starting to break down, about 1 minute. Add the rest of the butter and continue mixing until the butter is broken down and in various sizes (some butter will incorporated into the dough, some will still be a bit large, but most should be about the size of small peas). Stop the mixer and use your hands to check for any large pieces of butter that didn’t get mixed or any dry patches of dough on the bottom of the bowl; break up the butter and incorporate the dry flour as best you can. With the mixer running on low, slowly add water a few tablespoons at a time and mix until the dough starts to come together but is still quite shaggy.
Dump the dough out on a lightly floured work surface and flatten it slightly into a square. Gather any loose/dry pieces that won’t stick to the dough and place them on top of the square. Gently fold the dough over onto itself and flatten again. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times, until all the loose pieces are worked into the dough. Be very gentle with your movements, being careful not to overwork the dough. Flatten the dough one last time into a rectangle and cut into 2 pieces. Form the pieces into 6-inch discs and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.