110. Plum Pie, Crumb Top

The first thing I ever knew about plums was that they had something to do with a little boy sitting in a corner who, for some reason, stuck his thumb in a pie and pulled out one. It was a fun rhyme to say...but, did not make much sense.When I finally knew what a plum was, that rhyme still did not make much sense...I only ate plums fresh or dried, never in a pie and never in a corner.

The quality of plums are quite unlike the predictable banana; plums are either deliciously juicy and sweet or the opposite, sour and rather dry. As I have learned how to navigate the produce section of the grocery stores, I am more adept at picking the sweet, juicy ones.

On one plum-selecting day, I went a little overboard and bought too many. As they sat and softened, I decided it was time to search my cookbooks to see what could be done with all those plums. I found a recipe for plum pie and immediately thought of that kid in the corner. It was time to take the plunge...a pie would be baked and it would contain plums.

I do remember that I was not anticipating much in the way of flavor in the finished product as I had not even tasted the filling as it cooked. What a surprise; the plum pie was delicious and a wonderful way to use plums when they are in season and plentiful. It is a summertime family favorite.

Crumb Top Plum Pie

7 plums, pitted and quartered
1/3 C water

¾ - 1 C sugar
3 T cornstarch
 ¼ tsp salt

Topping:

1/3 C flour
1/3 C sugar
 ½ tsp cinnamon
3 T margarine

1 – 9 inch unbaked pie shell (pie crust recipe and secrets post #16)
Do not use graham cracker or cookie crusts.


Combine plums and water; bring to a boil. Cover and cook 3-4 min. Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir into plums. Cook slowly, stirring constantly until thick and clear…about 5 min. Remove pot from heat and cool. Turn into pastry shell. Combine topping ingredients with fork. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over pie.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 min. Cool. Serve.

(Place a pan or piece of foil on rack under pan to catch any juice that bubbles over. Use crust shield if necessary).