Method

• 1.
  To make the dough, combine the milk and vinegar in a jug. Place the flour, cornflour, sugar and 1 tsp fine salt in a food processor and whiz to combine. Add the butter and pulse until starting to combine. With motor running, add milk mixture and pulse until dough just comes together, with chunks of fat still visible. Divide into two even discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• 2.
  If using fresh cherries, place them in a bowl with the remaining filling ingredients.
• 3.
  If using frozen cherries (see recipe note), thaw them, then place them in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, until cherries lose some juice. Add the sugars and arrowroot and cook, stirring gently, for 1-2 minutes, until starting to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and vanilla, and set aside to cool.
• 4.
  Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Grease a 22cm x 19cm base pie dish.
• 5.
  Roll out one disc of dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 30cm round, then use it to line the pie dish. Trim the overhanging pastry to 1cm, then freeze pie shell until needed.
• 6.
  Roll out remaining dough on a lightly floured surface to a 25cm round. Transfer cherry filling to the shell, then cover with pie top. Trim excess pastry, then fold the top under the pastry edge. Flute edge with your fingers, or crimp with a fork.
• 7.
  Brush pastry with beaten egg, then sprinkle demerara sugar over the top. Using a sharp knife, cut 4-6 slits in the top.
• 8.
  Place pie on a baking tray (to catch any spills) and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced and bake for a further 30-40 minutes, until pastry is golden and cooked through.
• 9.
  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour for filling to set.
• 10.
  Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream.