I made a cherry pie for this contest! While I think apple pies are more American, cherries are summer fruit so it's more fitting for a July 4th dessert. Plus, there's that fable of George Washington chopping down his father's cherry tree. The moral of the story? It's good to tell the truth! And here's a truth I learned while making this pie, pitting cherries are a lot of work if you don't have a cherry pitter (plus they stain your fingers). 
I decorated the top of the pie with an American flag to be festive. The stars and stripes are hand cut! Here's the pie before baking:
Fourth of July Cherry PieIngredients:Filling:
1.5 - 2 lbs sweet cherries, pitted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
~2 Tbsp corn starch
Crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
8 oz (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes and chilled
~5 Tbsp ice water
1 egg, yolk separated
Instructions:1. Using a food processor (I used my fingertips because I don't have a food processor), pulse the cold butter pieces with the flour, salt and sugar until it looks like soft bread crumbs.
2. Add the water 1 Tbsp at a time until the mixture sticks together when squeezed.
3. Form into a ball and use immediately or wrap and refrigerate. If using immediately, roll out into pie dish or press into tart pan. Brush crust with egg white and refrigerate until needed. Save about a handful of dough for decoration.
4. Mix all filling ingredients together in a medium pot. Heat on medium-high heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and place into crust.
5. Using saved dough, roll out and cut stripes and stars. Place onto pie. Mix the remaining egg white with the egg yolk and brush onto dough. Sprinkle top of pie with sugar.
6. Bake at 375 F until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 30-45 minutes.
And here is the pie after baking:
It was delicious! I hope you like it! 
