1. Wash, dry, and pit the cherries – set aside. Add the butter to a Dutch oven or large pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, cherry juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, vanilla extract, and cloves and stir until well combined. Add the cherries and mix them in gently. Combine flour and cornstarch, add it to the cherries, and mix again – be careful and try not to crush any of the cherries. Let the cherries simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often. Keep an eye on cherries at all times, so nothing can burn. Most of the cherries should still be intact, and the liquid in the pan should have thickened nicely. Remove from the stove and let cool down.

2. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and pepper (optional) for the pie crust to a large bowl. Add the cold butter in small pieces and cut them into even smaller pieces, using a pastry blender*. Gradually add some ice water and mix/knead everything until the dough starts sticking together.

3. Lightly grease a 10-inch (26cm) pie dish*. Roll out about 2/3 of the dough on a floured surface into a circle that is slightly larger than the pie dish. Transfer the dough to the pie dish and press it to the bottom and sides to create a nice crust. The dough should overlap the edges by about 0.4 inches (1cm) – remove dough that is not needed. Prick the base several times with a fork. Roll out the remaining dough and cut out strips for the lattice pattern on top of the pie. Place the strips on a piece of baking parchment, creating the lattice pattern, and place both the crust and the strips in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Mix the egg yolk and water for the egg wash and set aside. Remove the pie dish and dough strips from the fridge. Pour the cooled cherry filling into the crust, smooth it out, and place the pastry lattice on top. Press the dough along the edges together and create a nice border – either with your fingertips or by pressing a fork into the dough. Brush the pie dough with the egg wash (try not to let anything run into the filling underneath) and bake the pie for about 80-90 minutes. The pie should be golden with the filling bubbling up here and there. Check the pie from time to time – if it’s getting too dark, simply cover it with some aluminum foil or baking parchment and continue baking. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool down for at least 1 hour. Serve with ice cream or vanilla sauce to your liking.