Sweet Cherry Pie

My fingers are by no means green.  I can't even keep a pot of basil alive.  But I love my Cherry Tree.  I really love it, and I think that's why it has not only survived since I planted it last Spring, but has really bloomed.

Sweet Cherry Pie ~ dairy free

For the Pastry:

250g plain flour

75g caster sugar

110g dairy free spread

50ml cold water

Combine the flour, sugar and spread until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the water and using a butter knife bring it all together until you get a golden dough.

At this point, I judge by eye whether or not the dough is too sticky and therefore needs a little more flour, or too dry and therefore needs a little more water.

Wrap your dough (not too sticky, not too dry) in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least half an hour.

For the Filling:

275g cherries, cut in half and stoned

2 bananas, chopped

3 tbsp caster sugar

100ml water

Combine all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil.

Cover with a lid, turn the heat down and simmer for about 15-20 mins, or until the bananas have gone gloopy.

Leave to cool.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Break off about a third of the pastry and put to one side.

Roll out your 2/3 of pastry and use it to line an ovenproof dish, pricking the bottom a few times with a fork.

Bake for 15 mins.  Meanwhile, roll out the remaining third of pastry - this is the pie's lid, so feel free to decorate as you wish, just be sure to include a few pricks in the decoration to allow air to circulate while it bakes.

Fill the pastry-lined dish with the cherry and banana filling, and carefully put the lid over the top, gently sealing the edges.

Bake for a further 20 mins.

Allow the pie to cool a little before serving with vanilla ice-cream/custard/clotted cream...