Altruistic Pie

Drain cherries, reserving juice.

Sprinkle cherries with sugar, stirring occasionally. Sift together pastry flour, cinnamon, 8 tablespoons sugar and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture and add beaten egg.

Mix and squish with both hands until mixture holds together. Mush into ball. Wrap tightly and chill in freezer for 30 minutes.

(Do not allow to freeze.)

Preheat oven to 350°.

In 10-inch ovenproof glass pie plate, pat dough out, smoothing it up to a neat ridge at the level of the pan's edge. Put in refrigerator while doing the next step. Drain sugary juice from cherries into measuring cup. Add enough of sour cherry juice to make 1 cup. Taste. Add a little more sugar if it seems too sour.

Take out 1/4 cup of juice and put the rest to heat over a low fire.

To the smaller amount, add cornstarch and stir until smooth. Add to boiling juice and stir until smooth and clear (2 to 4 minutes). Add almond extract and several drops red food coloring.

Gently stir into the cherries mixture the pecan halves.

Pile into the crust and pour hot juice-cornstarch mixture.

Bake for about 1 hour. Makes a general 10-inch pie. Will serve at least 8.