The original recipe for the pie belonged to Garnet Cross, who worked at the Mart-T Cafe, now renamed Twede's Cafe.

Ingredients:

For the test:

½ cup/ 120 milliliters of cold whole milk, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 ⅔ cups/340 g flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
8 oz/227 g cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch (12 mm) cubes
1 large egg
¼ cup/60 milliliters of whole milk

For the filling:

1100 g of pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
5 tablespoons/ 36 grams of corn starch
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons cherry liqueur or cherry brandy

Preparation:

Dough:

1. Mix the milk and vinegar.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.

3. Using a cookie cutter, cut the butter into cubes until it becomes the size of a small pea, and add to the bowl. Slowly add the liquid in four or five batches, mixing thoroughly. Knead the dough until a tight ball forms.

4. Divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Filling:

1. Combine the cherries, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cherries are thawed (if frozen) and the corn flour and sugar are dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally to prevent the cherries from burning, and cook until the mixture thickens slightly. (The total cooking time should be about 20 minutes).

2. Add the liqueur, stir and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Pie:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 ball of dough into a circle three millimeters thick and about 38 centimeters in diameter. Transfer to a 22-centimeter-deep pie pan and refrigerate.

2. Quickly roll out the second ball into a rectangle three millimeters thick, approximately 38 centimeters long and 30 centimeters wide. Cut into six strips about five centimeters wide. Take the pie pan out of the refrigerator and fill it with cherry filling. Weave a mesh on top. Glue and trim the edges.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk. Brush the surface of the pie with this mixture.

4. Place on a baking sheet and bake the pie for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180 degrees and bake for another 30-40 minutes, until the crust turns golden brown. The juice may bubble on the baking sheet. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.