Patriotic Cherry Slab Pie

This cherry slab pie is the perfect choice for a tasty and easy dessert. With a flaky crust including cut-out stars and a sweet dark cherry filling, it's sure to be a hit with family and friends.

Next to peaches, black cherries are my favorite summer fruit. We love snacking on them, enjoying their sweet and tart flavor.

I made this patriotic cherry slab pie for a party at my sister's on July 4th.  I used store-bought pie crust to save time, but you can use your favorite pie crust recipe; just know this one used two packages, or four pie shells.

I like a slab pie because it can feed a crowd, and the ratio of filling to crust is better, in my opinion.

However, working with cherries is slightly difficult as you need to pit them. I used a paper straw to start, but it didn't hold up long, so I switched to a wooden skewer. With both, I pushed up through the bottom of the cherry until the seed came out the top. Of course, you can always use a professional cherry pitter.

Here's what 3 pounds of pitted cherries look like.

How to Make a Cherry Slab Pie

Step 1. Pit the cherries. Cut them in half and place them into a large bowl with lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir well, then let them sit while you work on the crust.

I like adding a little lemon juice; however, you could also add a pinch of cinnamon or almond extract to enhance the cherry filling.

Step 2. Roll out two shells into a rectangle and use a third to add to it so that you can completely cover a jelly roll pan. (15" x 10") You can do this on a lightly floured surface or on a piece of parchment paper.

Step 3. Add the cherry pie filling. Spread them out as evenly as possible, but don't worry if you have a little bare space.

Step 4. Instead of using a full top crust, I used the last pie crust shell to cut strips and stars to decorate the sides and top. You can use a little water with your fingers to help the edges stick together.

Step 5. Then use a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges.

Step 6. Whisk an egg with one tablespoon of water to brush on all of the dough, including the stars. Then, drizzle coarse sugar over the top.

Step 7. Bake the pie for 50 minutes at 375 degrees until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

I like to let the pie cool slightly before covering it with plastic wrap and setting it in the refrigerator to firm up.  Then I'll bring it back out to get to room temperature for serving.

Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side if you wish. Just know that it's pretty fantastic all on its own.