BLUEBERRY PLUM PIE with a SPLASH OF MAPLE

Makes one 6” lattice top pie

For the pie pastry-

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4 oz. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
4 tablespoons ice cold water

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and water and set this in the fridge. Add the butter pieces to the flour mixture and incorporate using a bench scraper or your fingertips until you have irregularly sized crumbs. Gradually add the cold water and vinegar to the flour/butter, distributing the liquid evenly with your fingertips. If the pastry seems a bit dry, you can add an additional teaspoon of cold water. Gather the pastry together and shape it into two discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour before rolling. Roll one disc on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into a 9” circle. Fit the pastry into a 6” pie plate, tuck and crimp the edges; refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Roll out the second disc on the same lightly floured sheet of parchment into a 9” circle; cut into  1” strips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

For the filling-

2 plums, halved, pitted and sliced about ⅓” thick (2 cups of sliced fruit)
1 cup of fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over for stems and dried on a paper towel
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (I use medium amber)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch salt

egg wash made from one egg white beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon sugar for sprinkling over the lattice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt. In a medium bowl, toss together the plums, the blueberries, the maple syrup and the lemon juice. Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture to the fruit and toss gently to coat using a rubber spatula. Turn the filling into the bottom crust and place the pastry strips over the filling to form a lattice. Trim, fold and crimp the edges then brush the lattice with the egg wash and sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar. Place the pie on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 15 minutes to set the bottom crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, rotate the baking sheet, and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until the juices are bubbling thickly around the edges and from the center of the pie. Let the pie cool on a rack for about 2 hours before serving.

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