I love how you included all the tests and what you've learned from them. I've never seen such a comprehensive post for just one recipe. I'm so happy I've found your newsletter, guess I'll be binging all your posts in my free time now!
Nice to meet you, so glad you found my newsletter too too! I hope you’ll enjoy going through the archive - there’s a LOT of deep dives and long reads 😅
In the discussion you advise reducing the fruit liquor by half, but the recipe has it by at least two-thirds. If you had to pick one....? I was gonna try your method with the filling for a steamed 'hat' pudding. Thanks.
Oh let me edit that! I would say going for about 100ml juice for a “large” deep dish pie is probably about right, especially for plums which get even juicer when they bake. The problem is, some plums will only give you 200ml juice and others might give you 300! But you’re right, I’ll clarify it in the write up.
Great results. Thanks for the tips. I had 900g of mixed fruit (red and yellow plums, peaches, figs) that I macerated overnight; reduced the juices (280g) by half and used your lower starch percentages. Served the 'hat' hot and the juices thickened into a lovely sauce that coated the fruit.
(A fruit hat, for those unfamiliar, is a good old fashioned British steamed pudding where fruit is cooked inside a suet pastry case. Old skool and utterly delicious.)
Interesting about the autumn plums! The plum tree in my holiday garden is all done by the middle of July, so in my head, they’re barely even a summer thing 😂
I admire all your research and testing for your recipes, I too learn a lot. I love making pies, and will try your plum version. Our plum trees didn’t produce this year, will have to resort to buying them. Also one more thing, I’m from the US, I’m learning new words, “faffy,” and “thiccc” to name a few. Lol.
Oh that is sad! What sort of plum trees do you have? I’ll keep my fingers crossed for next year. Also faffy is such a good britishism, I hope it finds its way into your every day (you can also say something was a “faff”) 😂
Thanks for your note. Our trees are Italian plum, dark purple teardrop shaped fruit. We had a unusual freeze during blossom. I’ll try using faffy, it will take educating my friends.🥴🥴
Made this on Saturday, with (perfectly) underripe big Italian plums from Natoora and some top-up overripe greengages from the greengrocer, having missed the end of the British season! Really very delicious, fantastic crust and topping.
Some notes from my experience which will hopefully be helpful to others:
- I couldn't see that it would be possible to make the slurry with 1.5tbsp water - it took about 40-50ml for me to get something that would fully hydrate.
- I ended up baking it for quite a while longer than 40 mins as the internal temp was only something like 40 degrees when I took it out first time. On reflection I reckon part of this was due to my plum quarters being way too large (should've done 8ths if I'd been thinking), and I probably took it a bit too far in the end.
- I didn't fully read the preamble and waited for the syrup to cool quite a lot, deliberately so as not to gelatinise the starch - only to come back and realise that was the intention! A little knowledge can be a very unhelpful thing. I think that this, combined with the overcooking as mentioned above, as well as the overripe greengages, led to a slightly too wet pie.
This has definitely started a pie odyssey of some sort - thinking it'll be apple next!
since this crumble pretty much follows the 3:2:1 formula, if i were to press it into an even layer and baking would i end up with an oaty shortbread? I'm thinking of a variation on your oat-peach pie but with an easier, press in shortbread crust - using this crumble but without browning the butter and creaming it with the sugar and processing the oats with the flour - but I'm not sure it would work
This looks divine! I’m loving all things plum at the moment and sad we’re at the end of season. I’ve ordered two lots in my next Riverford delivery, as it mentioned they are good for freezing if you cut in half and remove the pit first. Thought I might buy extra to try preserve them for a bit. If I were to make this with frozen plums, could I macerate from frozen or could I defrost the plums first?
I just made this using fresh plums. I did it as a crumble instead and it was delicious! Only changes I made were adding cinnamon to the plums whilst macerating and added some chopped roasted hazelnuts to the crumb. Will make again as the recipe stated when have a little extra time!
I love how you included all the tests and what you've learned from them. I've never seen such a comprehensive post for just one recipe. I'm so happy I've found your newsletter, guess I'll be binging all your posts in my free time now!
Nice to meet you, so glad you found my newsletter too too! I hope you’ll enjoy going through the archive - there’s a LOT of deep dives and long reads 😅
I'm sure I will! I'm quite the bookworm, so the more deep dives and long reads, the better!
Your newsletter is such a generous teacher. Hats off.
It is truly my pleasure! I learn every week too :)
In the discussion you advise reducing the fruit liquor by half, but the recipe has it by at least two-thirds. If you had to pick one....? I was gonna try your method with the filling for a steamed 'hat' pudding. Thanks.
Oh let me edit that! I would say going for about 100ml juice for a “large” deep dish pie is probably about right, especially for plums which get even juicer when they bake. The problem is, some plums will only give you 200ml juice and others might give you 300! But you’re right, I’ll clarify it in the write up.
Great results. Thanks for the tips. I had 900g of mixed fruit (red and yellow plums, peaches, figs) that I macerated overnight; reduced the juices (280g) by half and used your lower starch percentages. Served the 'hat' hot and the juices thickened into a lovely sauce that coated the fruit.
(A fruit hat, for those unfamiliar, is a good old fashioned British steamed pudding where fruit is cooked inside a suet pastry case. Old skool and utterly delicious.)
Interesting about the autumn plums! The plum tree in my holiday garden is all done by the middle of July, so in my head, they’re barely even a summer thing 😂
No way!!!! What tree do you have? Gosh plums really don’t like to play by the rules do they.
No idea. They’re really dark purple on the outside and pink in the middle. I think my aunt planted it - I’ll ask her 😀
I admire all your research and testing for your recipes, I too learn a lot. I love making pies, and will try your plum version. Our plum trees didn’t produce this year, will have to resort to buying them. Also one more thing, I’m from the US, I’m learning new words, “faffy,” and “thiccc” to name a few. Lol.
Oh that is sad! What sort of plum trees do you have? I’ll keep my fingers crossed for next year. Also faffy is such a good britishism, I hope it finds its way into your every day (you can also say something was a “faff”) 😂
Thanks for your note. Our trees are Italian plum, dark purple teardrop shaped fruit. We had a unusual freeze during blossom. I’ll try using faffy, it will take educating my friends.🥴🥴
Made this on Saturday, with (perfectly) underripe big Italian plums from Natoora and some top-up overripe greengages from the greengrocer, having missed the end of the British season! Really very delicious, fantastic crust and topping.
Some notes from my experience which will hopefully be helpful to others:
- I couldn't see that it would be possible to make the slurry with 1.5tbsp water - it took about 40-50ml for me to get something that would fully hydrate.
- I ended up baking it for quite a while longer than 40 mins as the internal temp was only something like 40 degrees when I took it out first time. On reflection I reckon part of this was due to my plum quarters being way too large (should've done 8ths if I'd been thinking), and I probably took it a bit too far in the end.
- I didn't fully read the preamble and waited for the syrup to cool quite a lot, deliberately so as not to gelatinise the starch - only to come back and realise that was the intention! A little knowledge can be a very unhelpful thing. I think that this, combined with the overcooking as mentioned above, as well as the overripe greengages, led to a slightly too wet pie.
This has definitely started a pie odyssey of some sort - thinking it'll be apple next!
since this crumble pretty much follows the 3:2:1 formula, if i were to press it into an even layer and baking would i end up with an oaty shortbread? I'm thinking of a variation on your oat-peach pie but with an easier, press in shortbread crust - using this crumble but without browning the butter and creaming it with the sugar and processing the oats with the flour - but I'm not sure it would work
This looks divine! I’m loving all things plum at the moment and sad we’re at the end of season. I’ve ordered two lots in my next Riverford delivery, as it mentioned they are good for freezing if you cut in half and remove the pit first. Thought I might buy extra to try preserve them for a bit. If I were to make this with frozen plums, could I macerate from frozen or could I defrost the plums first?
I just made this using fresh plums. I did it as a crumble instead and it was delicious! Only changes I made were adding cinnamon to the plums whilst macerating and added some chopped roasted hazelnuts to the crumb. Will make again as the recipe stated when have a little extra time!