Lazy Cherry Pie

Mix in a large bowl: 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt Add 1 cup very cold vegetable shortening (The easiest way to measure it is to pour some cold water into a large glass measuring cup and adding chunks of shortening until the level of the water is raised by 1 cup), and rub the fat into the flour mixture with your fingers, so that the fat is incorporated into the flour in large chunks. (You can use half shortening and half butter, or all butter, or lard instead of the shortening- I'm out of butter, though, so I went with the hydrogenated crap. Lard/Shortening makes for a flakier crust, but butter tastes a hell of a lot better.) When the fat has been somewhat incorporated (there should be plenty of visible pea-to almond-sized chunks), sprinkle in: 1/3 cup ice water and roll the mixture with your hands in the bowl until it comes together as a dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and stick in the fridge for at least a half hour to chill- you can leave it there for a few days, even. (Pastry is much easier to work with when cold, and will only stay flaky if the fat does not melt until the pie is baked). When you are ready to make the pie, Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven, and heat the oven to 425 F. Mix: 1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling (if you only have deep dish pie pans, like me, you can either use a smaller, disposable aluminum pan, or use 2 cans of filling.) 1 tsp almond extract and set aside (If you are like me and hate washing dishes, you can mix the almond extract into the filling while it is still in the can) Take the pie dough from the fridge, and roll out half of it into a rough circle, a few inches larger, diameter-wise, than your pie pan. Carefully transfer it to the pie pan and trim the edges. I find that using something flexible (cloth or flexible plastic) to roll pie dough out on makes transferring it easier- you can just flip it over onto the pan. Pour in the filling, and dot with 2 Tb butter or so (I didn't have any :<). Roll out the other half of the dough with the scraps from the bottom crust either roll out a top crust and cut vents or holes in the top, or make a traditional lattice. When the top crust is finished, crimp the edges, and place the pie on a baking sheet (in case the filling bubbles over). Putting a pie shield or aluminum foil around the edge of the crust is not a bad idea, either, but I forgot to. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is hot and bubbling.