Better late than never! Here are a couple of desserts I made a little more than a week ago, but didn't have the time or energy to blog up.

CHERRY PIE
pastry for a double-crust 9-inch pie
cherries*
sugar**
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. cherry liquid
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. almond extract
milk and sugar for top

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Drain cherries and reserve liquid.
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually add 1 c. cherry liquid and the lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, almond extract, and cherries.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry, pour in the cherry mixture, and seal with top crust. Cut a vent in the pie. Brush pastry with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat and bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling through vent.

* The original recipe calls for two 1-lb. cans of sour pie cherries. I buy fresh cherries from a fruit farm in Ohio and freeze them in freezer bags. The proportions I use are 5 c. cherries to 1 c. sugar (the sugar helps the fruit keep its color and texture). One freezer bag = 1 pie.

** The original recipe calls for 1 c. sugar. I find that there's enough sugar in a cup of frozen-cherry liquid that I don't need nearly as much, so I use 1/2 c. Plus, I like a little tartness in a pie.


PEACH MELBA CRISP
6 Tbs. butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3/4 c. brown sugar, packed
2/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of powdered nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. rolled oats
2 lb. fresh or frozen (thawed) peaches, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 c. frozen (thawed) red raspberries
1/2 c. sugar
3 to 4 Tbs. flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 11 x 13 glass baking dish.
Put the butter, brown sugar, 2/3 c. flour, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until coarse and crumbly. Stir in oats and set aside.
Toss peaches and raspberries with sugar and remaining flour. Transfer to baking dish and spread out until thickness is uniform. Cover with the oat topping. Bake until topping is browned and fruit is tender and bubbly, about 45 minutes.