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For the crumb topping, I just winged it, adding equal parts of flour and sugar, some oats, lots of almonds and butter, a dash of cinnamon and salt and a bit of almond extract. I used about 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and I think it could have been even stronger. I was light handed with the cinnamon because I didn't want to overpower the almond extract (or clash with it). If you want it a little stronger, I leave that decision to your taste buds.
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I also used regular sugar, because I didn't want the crumbs to be too heavy and sweet, and it turned out great. However, it would probably be just as great with light brown sugar, so feel free to use that if you want a slightly stronger and sweeter crumb! I added the almond slices whole, and used a fork to combine the crumbs, breaking up the almond slices as I mixed. The almond breakage wasn't uniform, so it gave a nice variation in texture and taste. Don't worry about getting to every last little almond slice.
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Directions:
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1. Preheat oven to 375F
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2. Make the pie filling: Combine cherries, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and almond extract gently in a bowl.
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3. Place bottom crust in pie plate, and spread 1 Tablespoon of flour on the bottom crust. This will help prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy.
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4. Spoon filling into the bottom crust.
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5. Make the topping: Combine the flour, sugar, oats, almonds, butter, extract, cinnamon and salt, and mix until moistened. If it seems a little dry for you, add an extra Tablespoon of butter.
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6. Sprinkle the crumbs onto the pie as uniformly as you can, giving the best coverage that you can. Gently pat the crumbs into place.
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7. Bake at 375 for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. I put an aluminum shield on the crust about halfway through and it was perfect.
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8. Let cool completely on rack.
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Effort-wise, this pie was on par with a double-crust pie. Making the crumb topping takes about as much time as rolling a second crust. I have to say, I really enjoyed the change in flavor and texture that the crumb topping gave to this pie. The filling was the perfect contrast to the crumbs in every way, and each bite had the taste of buttery crust, tart cherries, and sweet crunchy crumbs.
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All in all, as you wind down your summer baking, and the last few weeks of good fruit come in, consider making this. The fresh ripe cherries won't be around much longer, so make haste!
