Twin Peaks Cherry Pie

Prepare the crust first. Rub the cold butter into the flour and powdered sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water and the egg, and mix together with a knife just until combined. Shape the dough gently into a ball by hand—do not overwork it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, press it into a flat disc, and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Pit and halve the cherries. Place the cherries, sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and lemon zest into a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Mix the lemon juice and potato starch together until smooth. Pour the mixture in a thin stream into the boiling cherry mixture, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the filling thickens. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Discard the vanilla bean pod.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger portion on a floured surface into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and roughly ¼ inch thick. Carefully transfer it into a 9½-inch springform pan, letting the excess dough hang over the edges.

Pour the cherry filling into the crust. Brush the edges of the dough with beaten egg.

Roll out the smaller portion of dough into a thin circle slightly larger than the pan. Place it on top of the pie, pinch the edges together to seal, and trim away excess dough. You may use the scraps to cut decorative shapes for the top crust.

Brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with raw cane sugar, and cut a few small slits in the crust. Bake on the lower rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, until golden.

Allow the pie to cool before removing the sides of the pan. Slice once fully cooled and serve, for example, with vanilla ice cream.