This is the only recipe I have seen for Bing Cherry Pie. It was developed by my mother during World War II. During the time I was stationed at the Walla Walla (Washington) Army Air Base Station Hospital, one of the non-commissioned officers brought in a bushel basket of Bing cherries after a rare Sunday drive with his family. He donated the cherries to the hospital mess, which was totally staffed by civilians at the time. The baker had been the chef in a restaurant before the war, and he took the cherries and baked them into the best pies I had ever eaten. They were so good, in fact, that I went through the mess line three times for additional slices of the pie (seconds and thirds were permitted at the hospital). When I came home on furlough, I told my parents and brother about this wonderful pie, and I asked my mother if she would try to duplicate the recipe. She said that she would try. She made three attempts before I felt that she had successfully recaptured the flavor of that wonderful pie. 1 can Bing cherries, drained Juice of 1/2 lemon 1/4 tsp. almond extract

Pour the lemon juice and almond extract over the cherries. Mix 3/4 cup sugar, 1 heaping teaspoon flour, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch; pour the mixture into the cherries and stir thoroughly.

Pour the stirred mixture into a prepared, unbaked pie crust. Cover the cherries with a lattice top made from excess dough. Bake in a 400 degree oven until done.