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1
Preheat oven to 425.
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2
Pit and halve cherries, set aside.
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3
In a separate bowl stir together flour and salt, stir in the sugar, add the cherries and almond extract. Then mix in the cold, cubed butter. Place mixture in the fridge to keep the butter from melting.
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4
To make the crust stir together flour and salt.
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5
Add the 3/4 cup of butter flavor Crisco and cut in shortening with a fork, 2 knives or pastry cutter until shortening is the size of small peas.
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6
Add water, a tablespoon at a time, and mix with fork until the dough starts to form a ball.
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7
Work dough into one large ball then separate into two. (If doing a lattice top, or using a deep dish pie pan, I normally make the ball for the bottom pie crust a little larger, gives you more to work with when rolling out the dough).
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8
You can either roll out the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper, or a floured surface. I prefer rolling it out on a floured surface, sprinkling a little flour on top of the crust and my rolling pin, rolling it out until about 1/8 inch thickness. Then rolling the crust onto my rolling pin and placing it on the pie plate. Make the crust a little larger then your pie pan.
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9
Prick bottom crust with a fork.
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10
Add the cherry filling into the crust.
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11
If making a solid top, again roll out another pie crust and add to the top, crimp edges with a fork that's been dipped in flour, and cut slits into the pie.
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12
I like to add a small amount of melted butter brushed over the top and a sprinkling of white sugar to give the crust a little sweetness, but this is of course optional.
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13
Place pie on a cookie sheet in center of oven and bake at 425 for 40 minutes, or if you're in high altitudes, bake at 400, until golden brown.
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14
Note: if the edges of the crust are browning too quickly, wrap edges in aluminum foil.
