Classic Plum Pie With Custard Food

PLUM TART

Steps:

• How To Make The Crust:
• In a food processor: Mix flour, sugar and salt together and place in the food processor. Add cold butter cut into small cubes and pulse a few times until you obtain a mixture that resembles sand or bread crumbs. Do not overmix. Add lemon zest, vanilla extract, the egg and water, one tablespoon at a time pulsing a few times until the mixture holds together.
• By hand: Mix flour, sugar and salt together, then cut the cold butter into small cubes and add it to the flour. Use a pastry tool to incorporate the butter into the flour, or use your fingertips. You should have a mixture that resembles sand or bread crumbs. Add lemon zest, vanilla extract, the egg and water, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture holds together.
• Make the dough into a disk, wrap it and place it in the refrigerator for an hour.
• Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
• How To Make The Plum Layer:
• Slice the plums in half and remove the stone, then cut each half into 4-5 slices. If you can't remove the stone, just carefully cut around it.
• Set aside.
• How To Make The Custard:
• Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Separately beat together the egg with milk and sour cream. Pour the liquid over the flour mixture and mix well. Set aside.
• How To Assemble The Plum Tart:
• Butter the bottom of a 9 inch pie or tart pan.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour.
• Roll out dough on floured board to a 12 inch size. This will fit in a 9 inch pan. Trim away excess.
• Sprinkle walnuts on the dough.
• Arrange the slices of plums in circle.
• Pour over the plums the custard mixture. Add the little cubes of butter on top of the tart.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes until the pastry is golden, the fruit tender and the custard set.

PLUM PIE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and crumbs. Line a 9-in. pie pan with bottom crust; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture and pack gently. Cover with plums. Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over plums., Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Make small cuts or slits in top crust; place over plums. Seal and flute edges. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 25 minutes longer or until golden brown.

ORIGINAL PLUM TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
• Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
• Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

RUSTIC PLUM PIE

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Cut butter into bits and in a bowl with a pastry blender or in a food processor blend or pulse together with, flour, sugar, and salt until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and toss or pulse until incorporated. Add enough remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork or pulsing to incorporate, to form a dough. Gather dough into a ball. On a work surface smear dough with heel of hand in 3 or 4 forward motions to make dough easier to work with. Form dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make filling:
• Halve and pit plums. Cut plums into 3/4-inch-thick wedges and in a bowl toss with sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice.
• On a lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin roll out dough into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer dough to a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate. (Do not trim overhang.) Spoon filling into shell and fold edge of dough over filling, leaving center uncovered. Bake pie in middle of oven 35 minutes. Brush crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake pie 10 minutes more, or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden. Cool pie on a rack.