Handy plum pies (plumpies)

Little Jack Horner


Sat in the corner,


Eating a handy pie


He put in his thumb,

And pulled out a plum

And said 'What a good boy am I!’

INGREDIENTS

Hot water crust

250g flour

30 g sugar

pinch of salt

1 egg

1/3 cup water

100g butter

filling

8 plums

sugar

salt

thyme

1 beaten egg for wash

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PROCEDURE

Sift flour, sugar and salt together into a large bowl.  Make a hole in the middle and toss in the egg, cover it with some flour. In a small pot combine the water and butter, bring to a boil until the butter is completely melted. Pour the hot water into the dry ingredients and use a table knife to mix it all together until you form a dough. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and blap it all into the fridge to chill for 1 hour. Meanwhile prepare your plums. Open the plums by cutting in half and remove the pits. In the center of the plum sprinkle some sugar (1/4 tsp), thyme (4-5 leaves) and a little salt (tiny pinch). Close the plum and set aside to infuse.  Divide the dough ball into three. Wrap one third (for the lids) and put it back into the fridge to chill. Divide the remaining dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each dough ball to a 5 inch round disk. Now divide the dough for the lids into 8 and roll each into a 2 inch disk. Place the a plum in the center of the disk of dough and pull up the sides to form an open pocket around the plum. Now place a lid on top and crimp the edges to seal, pinching and crimping all around to form a seal. Pop them back into the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place the pies an inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375˚ for 15 minutes, take out the pies and reduce the heat down to 325˚F. 325˚F for 15 or until golden brown and beautiful.