Damson Pie Recipes

EASY AS PLUM PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place one pie crust into a 9"pie dish.
• Wash plums, do not peel.
• Cut plums in half remove pit, then into quarters.
• Arrange plums in the pie crust.
• Mix together the dry ingredients, then sprinkle over the plums.
• Dot with the butter.
• Place top crust over plums, trim crust edges with enough to turn under, then crimp crust edge.
• Cut about 6 1" slits into the top of the pie.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes, reduce heat to 325 degrees, bake 25 minutes longer or until plums are tender.
• Cool, serve warm or cold.

DAMSON PIE

Steps:

• Stew the fruit with the sugar and 50ml cold water until soft but not breaking apart. Drain in a sieve.
• Warm the cream, milk and honey in a saucepan over a medium heat. Just before boiling, pour onto the egg yolks and whisk together until smooth.
• Scatter the stewed fruit into the pastry case, place on a baking tray and slowly pour over the custard mixture. Bake in the oven (180^C) for about 30 minutes until set.

DAMSON TARTLETS

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Pulse flour, butter, and confectioners sugar in a food processor until it resembles coarse meal. Add egg yolks and pulse just until a dough forms.
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Form each half into a 4-inch square (about 1 inch thick) and wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.
• Make compote while pastry freezes:
• Bring whole plums, sugar, wine, and bay leaf to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, covered, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved (be careful juices don't boil over). Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until plums fall apart, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and chill, uncovered, until cold, then cover. Discard pits and bay leaf, then add a little confectioners sugar to taste if desired.
• Bake pastry:
• Coarsely grate pastry from one frozen square into tartlet pans, dividing it evenly. (Reserve remaining dough for another use.) Press dough flakes into tartlet pans to line bottoms and sides evenly. Prick bottoms all over with a fork, then freeze tartlets until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Put tartlets in a shallow baking pan and put in oven. Turn oven temperature down to 400°F and bake until shells are golden all over, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Transfer tartlet pans to a rack to cool completely, then remove shells from pans.
• Make cream filling:
• Put cream in a large bowl, then scrape seeds from vanilla bean into cream. Beat in sugar and zest with an electric mixer until cream just holds stiff peaks. Fold in about 2 tablespoons plum compote, then divide cream among tartlet shells. Serve topped with some of remaining compote (you will have a lot left over).