Filling:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
7 cups sweet cherries, such as Bing, pitted
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste OR pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the cornstarch.
Put 5 cups of the cherries in a large bowl; set aside. Put the remaining 2 cups cherries in a Vita-Mix and blend to a purée; don’t worry if there are some small pieces of cherry remaining. Taste the purée to check how sweet it is.
Combine the purée, sugar (3/4 cup if the cherries are sweet and up to 1 cup if the cherries are tart), and vanilla paste (not the extract) in a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning, until the mixture has reduced to 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups. Reduce the heat to medium-low and, stirring constantly, add the cornstarch slurry.
Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until the mixture becomes translucent again. Remove from the heat, spoons little of the purée mixture onto a plate and let cool slightly, then rub it between your fingertips to feel for any remaining grains of cornstarch. If necessary, cook slightly longer to dissolve the cornstarch. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl and stir in the vanilla extract (if using). Let cool completely.
Roll out the dough, place one piece in a pie plate and the other on a baking sheet, and refrigerate as directed below.
Remove both doughs from the refrigerator.
Position one oven rack in the bottom of the oven and the other in the center and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Stir the purée into the whole cherries and pout into the pie shell.
At this point, if the top crust is too hard to shape, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes Moisten the rim of the pie shell with some of the beaten egg. Cover the filling with the top crust and press the edges together to seal. Pinch to top and bottom crusts together to seal and create a raised edge to the crust. Trim away the excess dough overhangs the rim.
Brush the top crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Using a paring knife, cut a few slits in the top of the pie for steam vents. Put the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Lower the heat to 375 degrees F, move the pie to the center rack and bake until the crust is golden and filling is bubbling. 20 to 30 minutes.
Transfer the pie to a cooling rack to cool.
BASIC PIE CRUST
2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all purpose flour, plus additional for rolling.
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
About 5 tablespoons ice water
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, then add the butter and toss to coat with flour. With your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour, tossing and incorporating any pieces of butter that have settled at the bottom of the bowl, until the butter pieces are no larger than a pea. Drizzle 1/4 cup of ice water over the top and, using a fork, mix the dough until it just holds together when pinched; add the remaining tablespoon of water if the dough is very dry. Knead the dough until it is completely smooth and the butter is incorporated.
Divide the dough in half, with one piece slightly larger than the other. Shape each half into a 1 inch thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to one day.
If the dough is too hard to roll, let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes or pound it a few times with a rolling pin. Lightly dust the top of the larger disk of dough with flour and roll it out to a 13 or 14 inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and transfer to a. 9 or 10 inch pie plate, gently easing the dough into the corners and up the sides.
Roll out the second piece of dough in the same manner, to a 12 round, about 1/8 or an inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate both doughs for 15 minutes.
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