Very Cherry Pie

Wayne loves cherry pie, so he was excited when this recipe showed up on the list to try. This variation includes both frozen cherries and dried cherries. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to find frozen tart cherries! We ended up making it with canned tart cherries. Afterwards I bought a couple bags of frozen mixed fruit (cherry/berry), picked out the tart cherries, and refroze them. We'll be ready when "pies" come up in the rotation again!

Very Cherry Pie

4 cups frozen unsweetened tart cherries

1 cup dried tart cherries

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie

Combine both cherries, sugar, tapioca and extract and mix well. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes.

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; fill with cherry mixture, sprinkle with nutmeg and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 1 hour.

Makes 8 servings.

Edited:
We decided to try this without picking out the tart cherries, and substituting 4 cups of the Berry/Cherry Mix. It turned out wonderfully as well.