SWEET WASHINGTON CHERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• In a bowl, mix the cherries, cherry juice, almond extract, brown sugar, white sugar, and flour until the sugar has dissolved; allow to stand while you prepare pastry dough, about 15 minutes.
• Line a 9-inch pie dish with a pastry crust, and fill with the cherry filling; sprinkle small chunks of butter over the filling. Top with the remaining crust, and crimp the edges to seal; cut several steam vents into the top crust with a sharp paring knife.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cherry filling is bubbling and thickened and the pie crust is browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
• Cook's Notes
• I have been taught to watch for the pie to look like it is "breathing" (i.e., the center rises and falls like a person literally breathing). I also should mention that you may need to cover the edges of the pie with foil the first twenty minutes of baking to prevent over-browning of the edges.
• Substitute 3 tablespoons of quick-cooking tapioca for flour, if desired.