Autumnal Plum and Apple Pie

After the Dimpled One pulled the fruit bowl down on her head this afternoon, I had two bruised cooking apples and half a dozen squashed plums (not to mention a baby with a headache) that I needed to do something with. So I peeled and diced the apples, and de-stoned and chopped the plums and divided them between two enamelled oven dishes. I sprinkled them with a handful each brown sugar and sultanas, about half a teaspoon of mixed spice and a couple of tablespoons of apple juice.

I couldn’t decide whether I fancied crumble or pie with my tea, so decided that, as I had two bowls, I could have two toppings. A crumble is another very good place to start if you are not a regular baker, since there are three basic ingredients and no fancy skills required. Simply put 100g butter (cold works better) 150g flour and about 75g of caster sugar in a bowl and get crumbling. Which is to say you need to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have what Nigella would call ” a sandy rubble”. Once all the butter is mushed up into “teeny tiny pieces”, as PD would say, then spread the topping loosely over your fruity mixture and bake at 180C for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

 

Alternatively, once you have your “sandy rubble”, add 2 tablespoons of water, and mix together until you have a lumpy mixture. Bring it together with your hand and knead briefly until you have a smooth pastry. Roll out until you have a round larger than your dish, then lay over the fruit and trim the excess from around the edges. Use a pastry brush to wash the top with beaten egg and bake at 160 for about 20-25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.