A juicy plum pie made with a homemade pie crust and a pretty decoration. The recipe calls for a 26cm/10in pie tart and has step-by-step images to show you how to decorate it beautifully.
Mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter in pieces and mix it in your kitchen machine using the k-beater (Kenwood) or flat beater (Kitchen Aid) until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the apple cider vinegar and water and mix until it comes together to a dough - don't overmix. Divide into two equal parts and form them into a disc using your hands. Wrap them with plastic foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes (up to one day).
On a floured working surface, roll out one disc slightly larger than your pie dish (the recipe calls for a ⌀26cm/10inch pie dish), transfer the crust carefully into your pie dish, and place it in your fridge. Aline's Kitchen Hack: Safe way to transport your crust - Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll over the pie dish.
Roll out the second disc on a floured surface into a rectangle. Cut into 8 long strips. Form 4 of them in a decorative pie crust mold: Brush the form with oil (I used coconut oil), press the strips slightly into the mold, and carefully remove them. Place all strips on a cutting board and store them in the fridge.
Plum Filling
Remove the stones and cut the plums into quarters. Mix with the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
Sprinkle the pie bottom with ground almonds and top it with the filling.
Decorate the Pie
Place 4 of the strips on your pie. Now, braid the other 4 strips alternate under and over the on the pie lying strips. Gently roll the overlapping crust to form a rim and crimp it with your fingertips. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 200°C/390°F.
Brush the pie crust with the egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C/390°F. Reduce the heat to 180°C/355°F and bake for another 30 minutes. Allow the pie to cool down for a few hours before serving.
Notes
Working with a cold pie crust is essential for easy handling. Therefore always place your crust in the fridge if you don't work with it.
You can eat the pie warm if you absolutely want to, but the filling will only set if you allow it to cool down for a few hours before serving.
I used damson plums for the recipe as these are the traditional plums in Switzerland, but you can make the recipe as well with regular plums.