**You can find commercial fruit sweeteners, ordinarily a combination of concentrated peach & pear juices and unsweetened pineapple syrup, in health food stores, gourmet food stores and large grocery outlets. It tastes 1-1/2 to 2 times sweeter than refined sugar. You can also make your own fruit sweetener. For example, if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup fruit sweetener, you can substitute 1/4 cup concentrated apple juice + 1/4 cup granulated fructose.
Ingredients
Pastry for a one-crust pie
2 (1lb) cans red tart cherries (packed in water)
1/2 cup fruit sweetener** (1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate plus 1/4 cup granulated fructose)
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tbsp lemon juice
A few drops of red food coloring (optional)
2 tbsp almond flavoring
TOPPING:
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup instant mashed potato or buds
1/4 cup fruit sweetener** (1/8 cup frozen apple juice concentrate plus 1/8 cup granulated fructose)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup margarine
Directions
Line 9-inch pie pan with prepared pastry. Set aside.
Drain cherries, reserving one cup of the liquid. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add cherry liquid, fruit sweetener and salt. Simmer mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and add cherries, peel, lemon juice, food coloring and almond flavoring. Pour into prepared pie shell.
Combine last six ingredients and blend to crumbly consistency. Sprinkle over pie filling. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut into 12 pieces.
