Classic Plum Pie With Custard

This traditional favourite is an ideal post-Sunday lunch pud

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 45 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 8

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  681

• Protein

  9g

• Carbs

  75g

• Fat

  41g

• Saturates

  19g

• Fibre

  0g

• Sugar

  42g

• Salt

  0.77g

Ingredients

• 900g plums, stoned and thickly sliced
• 140g golden caster sugar, plus extra
• tsp ground cloves
• 1 heaped tbsp cornflour
• flour, for dusting
• 500g pack shortcrust pastry
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
• For the custard
• 4 egg yolks
• 85g caster sugar
• 250ml milk
• 250ml double cream
• seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod

Directions

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and put a large baking sheet in to heat up. Put the plums, sugar and cloves in a pan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and the plums are juicy, 8-10 mins. Mix the cornflour with a little of the juice, then mix well into the fruit. Boil for a few mins, stirring, until thickened.
2. For the custard, blend the yolks and sugar. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla in a pan until almost boiling, then gently pour onto the egg mix, whisking constantly. Return to a clean pan and heat gently, stirring, until the mix thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Cool quickly, then chill. Custard can be made up to a day ahead and gently reheated.
3. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry on a floured surface. Use to line a pie dish, letting the pastry hang over the edges a little. Fill with the plums. Roll out remaining pastry, about 2.5cm bigger than the dish, then drape over the plums. Pinch edges together well, then make a small hole in the top. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Can be assembled up to 1 day ahead. Place on the hot baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden brown, and serve hot with the custard.

Categories: Courses, Fruit