RUBY-RED CHERRY PIE looks festive, so it is naturally a perfect addition to any summer celebration. I had stars (and stripes!) in my eyes when I was first introduced to the streusel-topped version that’s popular in Traverse City, Michigan (see “The ‘Cherry Capital of the World’”). The crunchy, toasty brown sugar crumbs scattered across the top of the pie made for a beautiful presentation as well as a pleasing textural contrast—a perfect complement to the soft, intensely flavored tart cherries beneath.
Tart cherries, also sold as sour cherries, are a favorite for baking thanks to their lively flavor. In fact, most canned cherry pie filling is made with tart cherries, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it because those fillings are too often cloyingly sweet (from too much added sugar) and unpleasantly gelatinous, leaving no evidence of the complex and nimble flavors of cherry. I was eager
