This Chocolate Cherry Bourbon Slab Pie, made in a quarter sheet pan, combines a thick cherry pie filling with smooth vanilla bourbon, melted dark chocolate, and it's all baked in a homemade all butter pie crust! Yields 12 larger slices.
1cupUnsalted Butter(cold and cut into small cubes)
4-6tablespoonIce Cold Water
chocolate cherry bourbon pie filling
29ozRed Tart Cherries in Water + ½ can of water(2, 14.5 oz cans)
½cupBourbon (such as Jim Beam's Vanilla Bourbon)
1cupGranulated Sugar
3tablespoonCornstarch
⅛teaspoonSalt
¼teaspoonAlmond Extract
¼teaspoonVanilla Extract
4oz70% Cacao Dark Chocolate(chopped and melted)
1egg(beaten, used for egg wash)
Instructions
homemade all butter pie crust - part 1
In a large mixing bowl and using a pastry blender (or two forks), mix together the all-purpose flour, salt, and cold cubed butter until you have small pea-size pieces. A few larger pea-size pieces are fine too!
Add in 1 tablespoon of the ice cold water, then (using a spatula or with your hands) work it into the pie dough mixture. Continue to add the ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the pie dough forms and it is no longer crumbly. If there are any crumbly bits, just add the teeny tiniest bit of cold water so they blend in with the rest of the dough.
4-6 tablespoon Ice Cold Water
After forming the ball of pie dough, place it on a lightly-floured, clean surface and divide it in half using a pastry cutter. Pat each half into a 1 inch- 1 ½ inch thick rectangular shape, then double wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place them in the coldest part of your refrigerator (usually the back) for a minimum of 1 hour.
chocolate cherry bourbon pie filling
In a large pot, stir together the cans of red tart cherries (do not drain), additional ½ cup water, bourbon, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, almond extract, and vanilla extract and bring to a boil.
29 oz Red Tart Cherries in Water + ½ can of water, ½ cup Bourbon, 1 cup Granulated Sugar, 3 tablespoon Cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract, ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Reduce heat to a simmer and continuously stir the pie filling until it's thickened.
Remove the pie filling from the heat and carefully spoon it into a large bowl or jelly roll pan to cool almost completely.
homemade all butter pie crust - part 2
While the chocolate cherry bourbon pie filling cools, roll out the first pie dough onto a clean and lightly floured surface, making sure to leave about a 1 inch to fold over with the top crust.
Place into the quarter sheet pan, then into either the freezer (preferred) or the refrigerator to allow the pie crust to firm, then roll out the second pie dough which will be for the top pie crust. I like to chill my top crust slightly in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes as well. It helps to handle and place over the pie filling, but this is optional.
assembling the chocolate cherry bourbon slab pie
Adjust the oven rack to the middle of your oven, set the jelly roll pan or cookie sheet on the rack, and preheat the oven to 425ºF.
In a small microwaveable glass bowl, add the broken pieces of chocolate and microwave it for 30-45 seconds at about 50% power until smooth and melted. Set to the side.
4 oz 70% Cacao Dark Chocolate
Remove the quarter sheet pan from the freezer or refrigerator, gently spoon the pie filling into the crust, then spoon the melted chocolate over the filling and swirl it around. Then top with the 2nd layer of pie crust. Press the two pie crust edges together then fold under. If need be, you can trim off any excess before folding. Crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork dipped in a little flour (so it doesn't stick to the pie dough).
With a pastry brush, gently brush the egg wash over top of the pie. You won’t need to use all of this on the pie—just a little coverage will be good. Place the pie on top of the preheated jelly roll pan, and bake for 15 minutes at 425ºF.
1 egg
After 15 minutes, decrease the oven temperature to 375ºF and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes or until the top of the pie is a nice golden brown. At the 15 minute mark, it would be a good idea to add a pie crust shield to avoid burning your pie crust edges. You can use pieces of aluminum foil to place around the edges or you can take a sheet of aluminum foil and cut a rectangle shape out of the center and place it over top. I would suggest wearing some oven mitts for this part so you don't accidentally burn your fingers!
Once the chocolate cherry bourbon slab pie is done, remove from oven and allow it to cool completely.