Cherry Pies in a Jar

The grocery store that I shop at puts out a quarterly magazine with recipes and entertaining ideas, promoting their products of course, but sometimes they have really good recipes, and since I had the day with nothing to do, I thought I would try out these little "Cherry Pies in a Jar".



Mine did not turn out looking exactly like the ones in the magazine (Raley's/Nob Hill  Supermarket, in-store free magazine )

 but, they are as easy as pie--pun intended--and quite tasty. Truthfully tho, when I make them again---and I will---I will just put some cherry pie filling in there and forget the jam, etc. UNLESS, you have...

BRANDIED CHERRIES from a friend in Montana. YAY---THE CROWD ROARS!


My friend, Karen from "Karen Cooks" sent me a gift box which included her brandied cherries. Just because she's nice like that. She says the cherries are great over vanilla ice-cream. I believe her, but they are also good in these little cherry pies. I didn't have quite enough canned cherries to fill the recipe ingredients, so I opened the brandied cherries and added some of them.  VERY yummy.

I will definitely be making these again, because now I have the jars, and they are just cute. As you can see, mine didn't "overflow" from the jar, but we just plopped a scoop of ice cream on top and ate them as is. I had taken them to a pinochle party (I don't even know how to play pinochle, but they're trying to teach me--sigh) and it was so fun to screw the lids on, place them in a bag and take them out again. Talk about easy travel!!

My gifts from Karen! Some Hot sauce---I'm making a Mexican dish called Tinga, and will post about that soon, and I'm making some waffles to use the jam with soon. Karen's gift! 3 food posts. How neat is that?
 
Cherry Pies in a jar
 
2 heaping cups canned or fresh pitted cherries--juice drained
1/4 cup Bonne Maman Cherry Preserves
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 refrigerated pie crust
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray 4 wide mouth, half pint canning jars, or 4 1-cup ramekins, with non-stick cooking spray.
 
Stir together cherries, preserves, cornstarch and lemon juice.
 
Unroll crust on a floured surface and roll into a 12-inch circle.  Cut into fourths, triming edges to make a  5-inch squares.  Place in the bottom of each jar.
 
Place equal amounts of filling in each jar.   Use remaining crusts to make lattice tops over the  jars.
 
Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned. Let cool before serving.
 
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I sprinkled some sugar on the crusts before baking them.  And I wasn't so precise in the crusts...I just eyeballed what I wanted.  And that's why they are so easy.  Like I said,  I would just use some pie filling next time and call it good.  And serve them at a  party. 
In fact, I'm going to plan a party right now.So...here is the deal. You can go to Karen's blog and get her brandied cherry recipe and use those in lieu of the canned cherries you get at the store---it's a special treat, let me tell ya.