Sweet Cherry Pie

Another successful Cooks Illustrated recipe! This Sweet Cherry Pie turned out great and was a hit at my house. 

• Sweet Cherry Pie  
• 2red plums, halved and pitted
• 6cups (about 2 pounds) pitted sweet cherries or 6 cups pitted frozen cherries, halved (see note)
• 1/2cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1/8teaspoon table salt
• 1tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 2teaspoons bourbon (optional)
• 2tablespoons instant tapioca, ground (see note)
• 1/8teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 2tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Process plums and 1 cup halved cherries in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids. Stir remaining halved cherries, sugar, salt, lemon juice, bourbon (if using), tapioca, and cinnamon (if using) into puree; let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Transfer cherry mixture, including all juices, to dough-lined plate. Scatter butter pieces over fruit. Roll second disk of dough on generously floured work surface (up to ¼ cup) to 11-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over pie, leaving at least ½-inch overhang. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges with egg mixture. With sharp knife, make 8 evenly spaced 1-inch-long vents in top crust. Freeze pie 20 minutes.
3. Place pie on preheated baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble around the edges and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
4. Transfer pie to wire rack; let cool to room temperature so juices have time to thicken, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.
   
   
   Be aware that if you are not patient and wait until it is cool to serve it or it will not congeal and have the "typical" pie consistency. (We might have not been so patient and it was a bit hard to serve, but delicious nonetheless.)