Cherry Raspberry Pie

I love this recipe! I've made it 7, yes 7 times in the past few months. I admittedly really like making (and eating) pie. Don't worry, I've given all but one of them away. :) The first batch of 4 pies may or may not have had maple instead of vanilla. Ok, they did. It was an accident, but it turned out alright. In fact, I think I might like it better with maple. I would use half a tsp maple and half a tsp vanilla, though, because that maple is sure potent! The second batch of 2 pies I used frozen berries instead of cherries. It was delicious, but I definitely like the cherries better. The last pie was made exactly to order, vanilla and cherries included. It was definitely yummy...the next time I make this, though, I think I'll go back to maple! If you're feeling adventurous, play around!

Crust:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
5-7 Tbsp cold water

Sift flour and salt. Cut in shortening till pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle water overtop, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing mixture after each addition. Form half the dough into ball, then flatten on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough to 1/8 inch thick from center to edge. Put the crust in the pie tin, fill with the cherry raspberry filling, and follow the same process with the remaining dough to create a top for the pie.

Filling:
1 16-oz bag frozen cherries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 cups fresh red raspberries
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan combine cherries, sugar, flour, and 3 Tbsp water. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until cherries are thawed and juices thicken. (It burns easily, so be sure to stir it!) Gently stir in raspberries and vanilla.

Fill your beautiful masterpiece of a pie crust (9" by the way) with the filling and make your top. You definitely want to leave some space at the top for this baby to breathe, because it's a mess if it boils over! I also recommend cooking it on a cookie sheet so your mess is contained if it does boil over. Anyway...finish up your crust and put the pie in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles in the middle. Then enjoy your delicious pie! Yum.