Deep Dish Plum And Almond Pie Food

DEEP DISH PLUM AND ALMOND PIE

Steps:

• For the Crust:
• If using the anise seeds, lightly toast them in skillet over medium heat until aromatic, 2 minutes. Grind in a spice mill or mortar and pestle until fine.
• Combine the butter and sugar in a food processor until creamy. Add the egg, anise seed if using, vanilla and salt and pulse to combine. (This may look rough and curdy, but don't worry, it all comes back together.) Add about half of the flour and pulse quickly 3 to 4 times to incorporate. Scrape down the edges of the processor and add the remaining flour. Pulse just enough to make a coarse, crumbly dough.
• Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan to form a thin, even layer, using waxed paper to smooth. Freeze crust while you prepare the filling.
• For the Filling:
• Pulse 1 1/2 cups almonds in a food processor until very finely ground (take care not to overprocess the nuts or they can get oily). Transfer nuts to a bowl. In the same processor, combine the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the cinnamon and continue to pulse until evenly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse in the egg. Add the reserved almonds and pulse until just blended.
• Arrange the plums cut side down, over the crust. Spread the filling on top and smooth with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup almonds and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake pie until the filling puffs and is golden but still slightly soft in the center, 1 hour 15 minutes for a glass bottomed pan, or 1 hour 30 minutes for an aluminum pan. If the crust begins to overbrown, cover the pie with foil during the last 15 minutes of cooking. When pie is done, turn off the oven and prop door open. Cool pie in the oven for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Serve at room temperature with ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.

PLUM PIE COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and the salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks crumbly. Drizzle in 1 beaten egg and pulse until the dough holds together when pinched. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead a few times until the dough comes together. Divide the dough into 2 balls and place each ball on a separate piece of parchment paper. Top each with another piece of parchment and roll out each into an 11- to 12-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Halve, pit and thinly slice the plums, then cut each slice in half crosswise.
• Cut out small rounds as close together as possible from 1 piece of dough using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more rounds. Meanwhile, arrange 9 rounds on one of the prepared baking sheets and brush the edges with some of the remaining beaten egg. Toss the plums in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat, then arrange about 4 plum pieces in the center of each dough round on the baking sheet, leaving space around the edges. Top each with a second round of dough and press the edges to seal. (If the dough is too stiff to work with, warm it briefly between your hands to make it more pliable.) Crimp the edges with a fork and cut 4 small steam vents into the top of each cookie. Transfer to the freezer and repeat with the remaining dough and plums.
• Lightly brush the cookies with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans.

BOTTOM CRUST PLUM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14-inch round that is 1/8 inch thick. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer to refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine plums, sugar, flour, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Toss to combine. Mound plums in the lined pie plate. Dot with butter, and fold the pastry up over the fruit. Transfer to refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
• Brush the pastry with cream, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until the plums are tender, the juices in the center of the pie are bubbling, and the pastry is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before dusting with confectioners' sugar for serving.