Purple Plum Pie

When dark plums hit peak season in late summer, this pie is what to make with them. The skins break down during baking and turn the filling deep ruby-purple, while the flesh softens into a jammy texture without going to mush. Tart and sweet at once, exactly the way a stone fruit pie should taste.

A streusel top reads better here than a pastry top. Plums release a lot of juice and the crumbly butter-flour topping absorbs that excess liquid, keeping the pie from running. Pastry tops tend to slide off slack plum filling, which is why this version skips them entirely.

Lemon juice tossed with the plums does double duty. The acid keeps the fruit from browning during prep and pulls the natural plum tartness forward against the sugar. A heavy hand with cinnamon in both the filling and topping ties everything together.

A deep-dish shell is a must. Standard pie pans overflow with this much fruit and you end up with sticky purple drips welded to the oven floor.

Pro Tips

• Cover the crust edges with foil for the last twenty minutes of baking to prevent burning. The crumb topping is fine but the rim browns fast.
• Use slightly underripe plums for best results. Overripe fruit collapses and weeps too much liquid.
• Cool at least one hour before slicing. Hot plum filling runs everywhere and a slice will not hold its shape.
• Cut butter cold into the topping mix. Warm butter creates dough rather than crumbs.

Variations

• Mix in blackberries or blueberries for a stone-fruit-meets-berry combination.
• Add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling for extra-thick set if your plums are very juicy.
• Stir half a teaspoon of cardamom or ginger into the topping for an exotic warm-spice twist.