Cherry Phyllo Pie

• HEALTHY
• MAKE-AHEAD
• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup hazelnuts
2. 1/2 cup light brown sugar
3. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4. 9 sheets of phyllo dough (1/2 pound)
5. 3 tablespoons cornstarch
6. 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 2 pounds sweet cherries, pitted
9. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10. 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
11. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Toast the hazelnuts in a pie plate for 10 minutes. Transfer to a kitchen towel and let cool. Rub the nuts together in the towel to remove the skins. In a food processor, finely grind the hazelnuts with 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon.
2. Coat a 9-inch glass pie plate with nonstick canola spray. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pie plate, coat with nonstick spray and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the hazelnut mixture; repeat 5 more times, overlapping the sheets to cover the plate. Fold the phyllo overhang under itself to make a rim.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch with the cardamom, salt and the remaining 6 tablespoons. of brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add the cherries, lemon juice and almond extract and toss to combine. Pile the filling in the phyllo shell and dot with the butter. Bake the pie for 1 hour, or until bubbling.
4. Meanwhile, lay 1 sheet of phyllo on a baking sheet, coat lightly with nonstick spray and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the hazelnut mixture. Repeat 2 more times, stacking the sheets. Using a cookie cutter, stamp out shapes from the phyllo sheets and bake for 30 minutes. Let the shapes and pie cool on a rack. Decorate the pie with the shapes and serve at room temperature.