In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

Note: If you don't own a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter or grate the butter into the flour.

With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Drain the cans of cherries, reserving 2/3 cup of water from one of them. Place the cherries and reserved liquid in a large mixing bowl.

Note: I completely forgot about the reserved cherry juice, and the pie turned out perfectly anyway. I'm guessing the Clearjel is what saved the day!

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and tapioca or Pie Filling Enhancer or Clearjel. Stir this into the cherries until everything is evenly combined.

Note: If using Clearjel, whisk it into the sugar before adding to the filling.

Stir in the almond extract and salt. If you're using tapioca, let the filling sit for 20 minutes before using it to fill the pie shell.

Spoon the filling into the pastry-lined pan, and dot with butter, if desired.

Roll out the second crust and place it on top of the filling. Cut a design (two cherries? a hatchet?) into the top to vent steam, and squeeze/seal the top and bottom crusts together, fluting with your fingers or a fork. You may also choose to make a woven lattice crust.

Place the pie on a parchment-lined (to catch any spills) baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 425°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

Remove the pie from the oven, and cool it on a rack before slicing, so the filling can set-- at least 3 hours.