Last weekend it went below 16C and all of Toronto decided it was time to whip out their new fall wares and put on a fashion show. Sweaters and scarves and leather jackets were out in full force, and then two days later it was a balmy 25C.
What do you do when the weather is flip floppy and you don’t know if it’s summer or fall? You make this pie.
The plum and fig combination are the best mix of late summer stone fruit, early fall figs and just enough spice to get you in the mood for incoming apple and pumpkin pies. You may notice that this pie also has no added sugar, which was one of my happiest accidents, as I realized I had forgotten to consider it once it was already in the oven.
Honestly? You can’t even tell. Plums and figs are juicy enough that they have a perfect amount of sweetness and tartness to blend with the spice. Happy accident indeed.
Crust Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup butter (straight from the fridge, cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup vinegar (I use cider vinegar, mix it in the water)
Filling Ingredients
- 3 cups plums, sliced
- 2 cups figs, stemmed and halved
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 2 pinches cardamom
- Salt
- 2 grinds pepper
• Raw sugar, for sprinkling
• Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tsp water)
Steps
To make the crust, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender, “cut” in the butter. This means you’re almost mashing the butter into the flour with the blender, ensuring all butter is covered in flour until the butter pieces are about the size of peas or a bit bigger.
Then, splash in a bit of your water mixture (2-3 tablespoons) and mix it around with your hand. Continue to add a little at a time and mix and squish with your hand until a large dough ball forms. If you need to get a bit more binding, add a bit of water to your fingers to help it along. Don’t feel compelled to use all the water, mix it in until just combined and the dough is holding together. Cut the dough ball into two halves and flatten into disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Remove from fridge and let sit for 5-10 minutes so the dough doesn’t crack. Roll out each disk on a floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick (it will be about 12-13 inches in diameter).
Fold the rolled out crust in half and set into a buttered 9 inch pie pan. Unfold gently and settle the bottom of the crust into the corners. Refrigerate while making filling and other dough disk.
Roll out the other dough disk into a 12-13 inch circle and refrigerate.
To make the filling, mix plums and figs with lemon juice, stirring gently together. Add spices and salt and stir gently to combine.
Remove pie shell from fridge and sprinkle 1 tsp each of flour and sugar on the bottom to keep the crust from getting soggy. Scoop in filling with a wooden spoon.
Remove dough circle from the fridge and cut out shapes and lattice strips, decorating as desired.
Roll pie shell edge over itself (and lattice strips/dough cutouts if necessary), pinching all around to seal. Crimp the edge, pinching the dough with your forefinger and thumb around your other thumb, like below:
Place the pie in the fridge for 10 minutes and preheat the oven to 425F.
Remove pie from fridge and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar to your liking. The egg wash ensures the pie is nicely browned.
Place the pie on a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and bake for 20 minutes until the pie crust is starting to set and brown. Reduce the oven heat to 375F and bake for 30-35 minutes until the crust has browned and juices are bubbling throughout the pie. Let cool for 2-3 hours and enjoy!
Pie Girl Bakes 