Say goodbye to sweltering summer nights and hello to cozy evenings by the fireplace, because fall has officially arrived! Fall is the ultimate season for comfort food, and there ain’t nothing comfier than a delicious, home-baked pie, just like grandma used to make!
A KitchenAid oven is the ultimate in kitchen comfort and convenience too, so what better way to bake your first pie of the season? Try out this tasty Autumn Fruit Pie recipe, packed with delicious pears, plums, and apples, and your tastebuds will be walking in an autumn wonderland in no time! We can’t guarantee this will be JUST like grandma used to make (she’s a pretty great cook after all), but it’s pretty darn close!
Autumn Fruit Pie
From Good Housekeeping
Ingredients
• 9 oz plain flour, plus extra to dust
• 5 oz unsalted butter, chilled and diced
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 medium egg, separated
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 ripe pears, peeled and cut into 1 ½ in chunks
• 3 eating apples, peeled and cut into 1 ½ in chunks
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 3 ripe plums, destoned and cut into 1 in chunks
• 3 tbsp damson, plum or blackberry jam
• 2 oz ground almonds
• 1 tbsp cornflour
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to about 375 °F and place a baking sheet inside to heat it up.
2. Combine your flour and butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is fine and crumbly. Add in the caster sugar. In a separate bowl, mix together egg yolk, vinegar, and 2 tbsp ice water, then pulse slowly into flour mixture until the pastry comes together. You don’t have to use all of the egg mixture, but if it looks dry, feel free to add more.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut off one third of it. Shape both sections of dough into flat discs, wrap them in clingwrap, and leave them to chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. Once the dough is chilled, roll out the larger portion and use it to line a 9-inch pie tin. Trim the overhanging edges and wrap the whole tin in clingwrap. Leave it to chill in the fridge for 20 more minutes.
5. While the dough is chilling, mix pears and apples with demerara sugar, vanilla, and mixed spices. Allow to sit for about 15 minutes, allowing the sugar to set in and the juices to seep out. In a separate bowl, combine the plums and jam.
6. Roll out the smaller portion of dough until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. This will be the top of your pie. Either cut the dough into long strips, or cut out small leaf shapes using a stamp. Covering your pie in autumn leaves adds an irresistible seasonal touch!
7. Scatter ground almonds in the base of the pie tin, on top of the pastry dough. Stir cornflour into the apples and pears, then spoon the whole mixture into the tin. Dot the plums and jam on top.
8. Lay the leaves or strips of dough on top of the pie using egg white as glue. Brush the whole thing with egg white.
9. Bake the pie on the preheated baking sheet for about 45 minutes, until golden brown. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Now it’s time to sit down with the family and enjoy your first taste of autumn! With your KitchenAid oven’s Even-Heat True Convection system, that pie will get that perfect golden brown without any cold spots or crispy edges. This pie might actually be better than grandma used to make – don’t worry, we won’t tell. Either way, you won’t be able to resist a second slice! Or a third. Or a fourth.
For all your fall baking needs, come on down to Spencer's TV & Appliances. We’ve got a huge selection of wall ovens and ranges by KitchenAid and other top brands! Ask one of our expert associates how you can amp up your baking game for the autumn season with the help of a new oven!