Christmas Cherry Cranberry Pie

If you are looking for a last minute dessert addition
to your Christmas dinner, look no more!

This Cherry-Cranberry Pie is a pretty addition to your holiday table. That bright red color pops up and fits the Christmas vibe like a charm. It’s so simple to make and uses healthy ingredients to indulge without guilt! Moreover, it is also gluten-free so everyone can enjoy it! Perfectly tart, yet also perfectly sweet, and spiced just right to feel cozy. It would pair wonderfully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For wines, Beaujolais, red Burgundy, rosé Champagnes and sparkling reds can also be terrific.

INGREDIENTS

 CRUST:

• 2 2/3 cups almond flour
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter (or Earth Balance for vegan version)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cold water
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

FILLING:

• 3 cups Frozen Cherries
• 1 1/2 cups Fresh Cranberries
• 3/4 cup Coconut Sugar
• 3 tbsp Corn Starch 
• 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp agar-agar powder
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Degrees

   
   For The Filling:

2. In a medium to large bowl, add the frozen cherries and the fresh cranberries.
   Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and toss until evenly combined.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, corn starch and agar-agar.
4. Pour the dry mixture over the berry-cherry mix and toss again. Set aside.

   
   For The Crust:

5. Whisk together the almond flour, tapioca starch and salt.
6. Cut the butter into the flour, making sure there are no pieces larger than a pea size.
7. Add slowly the cold water into your flour/butter blend until the dough has formed. (You can mix by hand or food processor if preferred). It will be stickier and more pliable than the traditional dough. Let the dough rest for a few minutes. It will then thicken a bit.
8. Press half of the dough into the pie pan and work the dough up the sides and around the edges. You can also roll the dough in-between two pieces of parchment paper, remove the top layer and turn over onto the pie pan and make any necessary adjustments.
9. Pour filling into prepared pan.
10. At this point, the pie is ready to go to the oven if you don’t want it covered with dough. Otherwise, roll out the remaining half of the dough in between two pieces of parchment paper. You want to keep it a little thick for the top layer, it will be easier to work with.
11. Peel off the top layer of the parchment paper. Carefully turn rolled dough onto the pie. Peel back the paper and trim the excess dough.
12. Make a few vent holes and brush with full fat coconut milk as an “egg” wash if desired. Sprinkle the top with coarse coconut sugar, flute or crimp the edges and carefully place the pie into the oven for 45-60 minutes. Check the doneness starting from 30 minutes and if you don’t want the edges to brown too much, you can put an aluminum foil on top.
13. Let the pie cool completely before serving as the filling will set during the cooling process. Enjoy!!