Cherry braided pie on a baking sheet

Ingredients:

Filling

• 1.1 kg fresh dark red cherries, pitted and halved, or 900 g frozen cherries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 110 g semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces, plus extra for greasing the pan
• Special equipment: baking tray with sides measuring 25x37.5 cm.

Cake

• 4 sheets of store-bought pie dough, 22 cm in diameter (2 packages of 400 g)
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Topping

• 0.5 cups heavy cream
• 0.5 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preparation:

1. Filling:
   
   Place the cherries, granulated sugar, chocolate, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves. Let stand at room temperature to release the juices, about 30 minutes. If using frozen cherries, stir them into all the ingredients without defrosting.
   
2. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 10 x 15-inch baking pan with butter.
3. Cake:
   
   To form the bottom crust, place 1 sheet of pie dough between two large sheets of floured parchment paper and roll it out into a 35cm (14in) circle. Place the circle on half of the prepared baking sheet; there will be an overhang around the edges. Roll out another piece of dough. Place it on the remaining open side of the baking sheet, overlapping the first piece of dough; the edges of both sheets of dough will hang over each other. Press the sheets of dough together to seal.
   
4. Transfer the filling to the dough and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle with pieces of butter.
5. Lattice:
   
   Roll out the two remaining pieces of dough into 14-inch (35 cm) diameter circles. Using a chef's knife or pizza cutter, cut each circle into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide strips. Lay half of the strips diagonally across the entire surface of the pie, spacing them about 1-inch (2.5 cm) apart. Weave the remaining strips diagonally across the first strips to create a lattice pattern. Trim the ends of the lattice pattern, leaving an overhang. Press the ends of the strips and the bottom edge of the dough together to seal, then fold and crimp the edges.
   
6. Brush the lattice and edge of the cake with whipped cream and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Bake until the cake is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 45-55 minutes. If the cake is darkening too quickly during baking, cover the pie loosely with foil. Let the cake cool.
7. Topping:
   
   Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream, sour cream, and brown sugar until medium peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
   
8. Serve the pie warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.