Mr. Magpie is home from the campaign trail and anxious to catch up with friends so we decided to host a BBQ on Sunday.  In advance of Thanksgiving, I decided to make two pies to get some practice.  This is a graham cracker crust take on a traditional cherry pie featuring lyrics to a silly Brittany Spears song.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh tart cherries
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/8 tablespoon almond extract
• 1 ½ cups finely crushed gluten free graham crackers (24 squares)
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 refrigerated gluten free pie dough crust

Instructions:

1. Place cherries in medium saucepan and place over heat. Cover. After the cherries lose considerable juice, which may take a few minutes, remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, mix the 1 to 1 1/2 cup of sugar and cornstarch together. Pour this mixture into the hot cherries and mix well.
3. Add the almond extract and mix.
4. Return the mixture to the stove and cook over low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool. If the filling is too thick, add a little water, too thin, add a little more cornstarch.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
6. In medium bowl, stir graham crackers, butter, and 3 Tablespoon sugar together.  Press  mixture firmly and evenly against bottom and side of pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Remove crust from oven and pour cooled cherry mixture into the crust.
8. Roll out top pie crust dough and using small alphabet letters cut out the letters: DO YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?
9. Place letters on top of cherries.
10. Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Yields 1 8 inch pie or about 6 servings

Allergen information:

• This recipe is dairy free.
• This recipe is egg free.
• This recipe is gluten free.
• This recipe is vegetarian.

Nutrition information:

Photographs: