Dessert Bar Apple Cherry Pie

10 oz Frozen tart red cherries; pi

1 c Granulated sugar

3 tb Tapioca; quick-cooking

4 c Cooking apples; 2 pounds

--peeled, thinly sliced 2 tb Butter or margarine

Milk 2 ts Granulated sugar

1/8 ts Ground nutmeg

Pastry: 2 c All-purpose flour

1/2 ts Salt

2/3 c Shortening

6 tb Cold water; to 7 tablespoons

Recipe by: Midwest Living, October 1995 Filling: Thaw the frozen cherries; do not drain off the juice. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and the tapioca. Add the undrained cherries and the apples, tossing to coat. Let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pastry: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until the pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle the water, one tablespoon at a time, over part of the flour; toss gently with a fork. Push to the side of the bowl. Repeat until all is moistened. Divide the dough in half. Form each half into a ball. For the bottom crust, on a lightly floured surface, flatten one ball of dough and roll into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. Trim the pastry to the edge of the pie plate. Roll out the remaining pastry for the top crust; cut into strips for a lattice crust or cut slits for the steam to escape. Spoon the filling into the pie crust; dot with the butter or margarine. Add the top crust, trimming 1-inch beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold until the edge. Seal and flute. Brush the top crust with milk. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar and the nutmeg. Cover the edge of the pie with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with ice cream, if you like. Penny Halsey (ATBN65B). Note: Here's a trick for covering the pie to prevent a too-brown edge. Make a foil rim by folding a 12-inch square of foil into quarters. Cut out the center portion of the foil, making a 7 1/2-inch circle. Unfold and loosely mold the foil rim over the edge of the pie, leaving the center open.
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