First, you’ll need to pit the cherries. It’s a bit of work, but worth it. Once they are pitted, cut them all in half. Then, take about half of those halves and cut them into quarters. Having a mix of sizes gives the filling a great texture.

Put all your prepped cherries into a large bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon juice, and salt. Gently stir everything together until the cherries are coated. Let this mixture sit on the counter for a bit while you get the crust ready.

Assembling the Pie

1. Take half of your pie dough and roll it out on a floured surface until it’s a couple of inches wider than your 9-inch pie dish. Gently lay it inside the dish, being careful not to stretch it. Trim the edge so it hangs over by about an inch. Put this in the fridge to stay cold.
2. Grab your bowl of cherry filling. Spoon the cherries into the chilled pie crust, but try to leave most of the juice behind in the bowl. This is a key step to avoid a soggy bottom.
3. Dot the top of the filling with your small pieces of cold butter.
4. Roll out the second half of the dough to a 12-inch circle. Place this top crust over the filling.
5. Trim the top crust so it’s even with the bottom one. Fold the edge of the top crust under the bottom crust edge, and press them together to seal. You can crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork.
6. Whisk together the egg yolk and cream, then brush this egg wash all over the top crust. Sprinkle a little extra sugar on top.
7. Cut 3 or 4 slits in the top crust so steam can escape while it bakes. Pop the whole pie in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Baking the Pie

1. Place a baking sheet on a lower rack in your oven to catch any drips, and preheat to 400°F (204°C).
2. Bake the pie on the hot baking sheet for 20 minutes.
3. Then, lower the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and bake for another 35-45 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the crust is a lovely golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling through the slits.
4. If the edges of the crust start to get too dark, you can loosely cover them with strips of aluminum foil.
5. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 3 to 4 hours before you slice into it. This waiting time is important because it allows the filling to set up properly.