Crumb Top Cherry Pie

A beautiful and easy cherry pie to make you smile.

And to cause your dog to drool.

Easy stuff, and so good.  Found the recipe at Jam Hands.  The crumb topping really makes it!  Enjoy!

1 1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)

3 tablespoons cornstarch*
2 cans OregoN Red Tart Pie Cherries, drained, reserve juice from one can  *I just used two cans of regular cherry pie filling...it's already thickened.
1/4 tsp red food coloring (optional)
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 prepared pie crust

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup butter, cold
1/2 cup sugar
1 c. flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drain the cherries and reserve the juice from only one can. In a saucepan, stir the cherry juice into the combined mixture of the cornstarch and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Gently stir in cherries and optional ingredients. Remove from heat. Pour filling into pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter or margarine.

2. Prepare crumble topping: Using a pastry cutter or fork, blend the crumble topping ingredients together. Sprinkle over the pie.

3. Bake 45 minutes or until crust browns and filling begins to bubble. If necessary, cover edges with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over-browning. Cool pie several hours to allow filling to thicken before slicing.