Handmade Cherry Almond Pie

1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
Pastry for 9-inch double crust pie
1 egg, beaten
4 cups pitted Northwest fresh sweet cherries
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine
Red Wine Glaze, optional

Yield: 8 servings

Finely chop 1/4 cup almonds. Roll dough* into circle approximately 16 inches in diameter and sprinkle chopped almonds over top; roll gently to imbed nuts in dough. Gently transfer to lightly greased baking sheet lined with parchment paper, if desired. Brush with beaten egg. Mix cherries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and wine. Spoon cherry mixture onto dough leaving a 4-inch border. Lift edges of dough up and over fruit, leaving a 5-inch circle of cherries showing in the center. Fold in edges of pastry to form a circle. Brush pastry with remaining egg mixture; sprinkle with remaining almonds. Bake at 375ºF 30 minutes or until pastry browns and filling bubbles. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. If desired, serve with Red Wine Glaze to drizzle over each serving.
 
Red Wine Glaze: Combine 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/3 cup red wine, mix well. Makes 3/4 cup.
 
*When using packaged, pre-rolled pastry, stack one crust on top of the other and roll to 16 inches.
 
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving: 475 Cal., 5.6 g pro. 19.2 g fat. (36% Cal from fat), 70.1 g carb. 23 mg chol., 4.1 g fiber, 315 mg. sodium.