Cabin life is all about taking time to enjoy the good things, to slow down and indulge, and that’s why we’re sharing cabin recipes on the blog! Discover more cabin recipes from Cascade Escapes to keep your kitchen cozy and your bellies happy.
On Sunday, March 14, 2021, we celebrated Pi Day! Every year on 3.14 we bake up something delicious for this official-unofficial-holiday and we thought we’d share a blue ribbon special on the blog. This cherry pie recipe became locally famous when it won first place in the Manitou Spring Pie Contest! So yeah, we’d say it’s a pretty solid choice.
Cherry Pie Fit for Cabin Life
Cherry pie is a well-loved favorite, and for good reason. You’ll love this award-winning cherry pie recipe because the flaky moist crust is especially rich with some added depth due to the addition of milk.
PRO-TIP: Simplify your pie crust process by mixing with a fork and forming directly into the pie pan.
Rather than canned cherries, this cherry pie filling from scratch is made rich and unique with grenadine syrup and almond extract. Be sure to find quality tart cherries, as these tart cherries are the key ingredient in developing the cherry flavor in this pie filling.
If you’re bringing home a slice of cabin life with this cherry pie recipe, might we recommend a scoop of homestyle vanilla ice cream to make your plate complete!
An American Tradition
American pie has been a tradition since before America was America! But who made Pi Day, well, Pi Day?! According to history.com (https://www.history.com/news/where-did-pi-day-come-from) it was actually a logical coincidence because March 14th is numerically represented as 3.14, which is the mathematical phenomenon of pi–and it is also Albert Einstein’s birthday. Who could dream up a more perfect holiday?!
Since this Pi Day tradition picks up popularity every year, we wanted to share our recipe in honor of a terrific excuse to eat some pie. This year we chose cherry because, as your local innkeepers in Cascade, Colorado, we have a special claim to fame with this blue ribbon recipe.
Want to learn more about Manitou Springs and the Manitou Spring Pie Contest? Check out this link! And if you’re looking for unique local things to do in Colorado, we highly recommend the artful community of Manitou, and the quaint local events and traditions of our mountain towns. (Coffin Race and Fruitcake Toss, anyone?)
The 2020 Pie Contest was canceled, but we are so hopeful for a strong return in 2021!
A Cabin Favorite
Cabin recipes are favorites around here because they’re tried and true, and we hope our cabin fam can keep the spirit of cabin life alive with these free recipes from our cabin kitchen to yours. If you have a cabin favorite you’d like to share, be sure to let us know in the comments or email us at info@cascadeescapes.com
Cherry pie is sure to be a repeat recipe for spring celebrations, summer picnics, and early fall dessert favorites. Canning your cherry pie filling is always an option if you want to make those tart cherries last for the whole season! You can also learn how to preserve your pie cherries through this handy resource: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan_fresh_cherries
We hope our cabin recipes keep your kitchen cooking, baking, and entertaining all year-round.
Calling on our Colorado Cabin Fam!
Have a cabin story to share with us? We love to keep the recipes rolling along with blog posts about our cozy cabin properties and the visitors who make us the unique cabin community we are. When you stay with Cascade Escapes, you’re more than a customer–you’re our cabin fam.
We’re looking for more stories like Emily and Damian (internal blog link) to share, so we encourage cabin couples, families, and past guests to reach out if you’d like your unique story to be shared on our blog and social media!
Post your Pics to Social Media!
Cabin guests can also share the fun by posting your cabin pics on Instagram and tagging @cascadeescapes
Did you try our Cherry Pie Recipe? Do you have a pie to share from your own Pi Day celebration? Tag us on social media and let us see your Pi Day Pics!
And as always, we can’t wait to see you at the cabin.
Happy Pi Day!
Blue Ribbon Cherry Pie
Pie Crust
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup of Wesson oil
2 T milk
Put all ingredients in a pie pan and mix with a fork. Pat and press into pan and up the sides to form an edge.
Cherry Pie Filling
1 cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup grenadine syrup
2 (14.5) ounce cans of pitted tart red cherries
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoons butter
Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan, stir.
Stir grenadine syrup into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Add cherries and simmer until liquid is thickened and transparent ( about 4 minutes), stirring. Add almond extract and butter until it melts. Cool.
Place cherries in the pie pan.
If you want to make a top crust( 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 7 tablespoons of water and 2/3 cup shortening.
Mix together and form a disk. Roll out and put on top of pie, cut 3 1” slits in the center of pie. Put on a cookie sheet and bake 400 degrees for 55 minutes, if it’s browning too fast, put foil around the edges of the pie.
Cool.
Enjoy!
