Place the flours and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cream cheese and butter and pulse 10-15 times until the dough resemble course crumbs. Add the ice water all at once while pulsing.
Remove the dough to a well floured work surface and form it into two ½ inch thick discs. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Combine the cherries, sugar and almond extract in a medium sauce pan over low-medium heat and cook for about 8 minutes until the cherries release some of their juice. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 2 minutes.
Combine the lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir until no lumps remain. Add the mixture to the cherries. Continue to cook until the cherry mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. The mixture can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.
Butter a 9-inch pie dish and set aside. On a well floured surface, roll one pastry disc to about an 11-inch circle. Transfer it to the prepared pie dish allowing the extra dough to hang off the sides. Fill with the pie filling.
Roll out the second pastry disc to about an 11-inch circle and place it over the pie. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together to seal. Cut a few slits in the top to allow the steam to escape. Place the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Place two oven racks in the lower and middle sections of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Remove the pie from freezer, brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with course sugar (if using).
Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the lower oven rack for 30 minutes. Move to the middle rack and rotate 180 degrees. Bake for another 30 minutes or until golden brown in color and the filling appears to be bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.
