🍒 Perfectly Tart Cherry Pie - Paleo Friendly 🍒

🍒 Perfectly Tart Cherry Pie - Paleo Friendly 🍒
We hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Since our kids are at camp, we just took it easy at home, but I felt very American when I picked our tart cherries and made my very first Tart Cherry Pie. Growing up in Sweden, I had not really come across tart cherries and didn't know what to do with the beautiful fruit ripening on our tree in Boulder. Alex suggested I make a pie, and I was delighted with the result.  It turned out perfectly tart, and the almond crust and pecan crumble on top were so delicious.

Tart Cherry Pie Recipe 
Pie Crust
3.5 cups blanched almond flour
4 tbs coconut oil (or ghee)
1 egg (or flax egg)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp psyllium husk

Pie Filling
2 lb tart cherries pitted (about 4-5 cups pitted)
4-5 tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot
5 tbsp coconut sugar (or more to taste)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Crumble Topping
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/3 cup ghee or coconut oil (cold)
1/2-1 cup pecans or other nuts, chopped

Instructions
Make the pie crust
1. Mix the almond flour, salt, and psyllium husk in a bowl
2. Add the egg, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Mix until you get a dough that holds together.
3. Place in the refrigerator for 30-60 min while you prepare the crumble and the filling.

Make the crumble topping
1. In a bowl, mix the coconut sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and pecans.
2. Add the ghee/coconut oil and mix by hand or use a food processor.  
3. Place in the refrigerator for 15 min or in the freezer for 5 min.

Make the filling and assemble
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the pitted cherries, tapioca flour/arrowroot, and coconut sugar. lemon juice and vanilla extract. Taste, add more sugar if needed. 
3. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish. Press the pie crust dough firmly and evenly across the bottom and up the sides. Score the top of the pie with a fork.
4. Add the cherry filling to the crust. leaving excess juice in the bowl.
5. Take out the crumble topping from the freezer, and crumble all over the filling.
6. Bake at 400F for 15 min, cover with aluminum foil, and lower the temperature to 375F. Continue to bake for another 20-35 min. 
7. Let cool and enjoy as is or with ice cream!