What is cozier than a prune pie to warmly welcome fall? Sweet and tart prune plums are encased in an easy-to-make, buttery, and flaky crust that's gently infused with almond and thyme and then baked until golden. It's a comforting, delicious, and warming way to usher in the season!
Ingredients
The Pie Filling
2lbprune plums
¾cupsugar
3tablespoonsall-purpose flour
2teaspoonsvanilla
The Crust
1 ½cupsall-purpose flour
1cupalmond flour
2tablespoonssugar
1teaspoonsea salt
¾cupcold butter, cut into chunks
2tablespoonsshortening
1tablespoonfresh thyme leaves, chopped
Instructions
Begin by making the crust. Place the flour, almond flour, sugar, and sea salt in your food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter, shortening, and thyme leaves and whizz until a grainy dough forms. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and add a tablespoon of cold water. Quickly work this into the dough using your fingertips. Note: the dough will seem too wet at this point. Divide the dough into two pieces, about ¾ of the dough for the crust and the other ¼ for the cut-out top. Roll into disks, wrap with parchment paper, and place the dough into your fridge. Let it rest for a half hour.
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup almond flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ¾ cup cold butter, 2 tablespoons shortening, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper, slightly bigger than you'll want your pie crust. Sprinkle a little flour on one piece and set the larger ball of dough on top. Press the ball down with your hands, shape it into a circle, and sprinkle with a bit of flour. Lay the second piece of parchment paper on top. Roll the dough into a circle about 1 ½ inches larger than your pie pan. Remove the top parchment piece of paper and use the bottom one to transfer the dough to the pie pan, placing it into the pan with the parchment paper up. Peel off the paper, press the dough into the pan, and crimp the edges with your fingers. Place the pie into your fridge.
Again using the same 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out the smaller ball to about ¼ inch thick. Use a cookie stamp to cut out the dough. Place the cut-outs on parchment paper on a plate or baking sheet and put them into your fridge.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pit and quarter your plums and add them to a large bowl. Toss with the sugar, flour, and vanilla.
Check the pie crust in your fridge. Once it has hardened (from the cold) add the prunes and top with the cut-outs. Place the pie on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) and immediately place it into your oven.
Bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the pie is bubbling at the sides. If the crust starts to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let the pie cool for at least a half hour before eating.