Blackberry Plum Potpie

I bought a Martha Stewart Living magazine with a piece all about pies. I've decided this will be the summer of the pie, and I shall make them all.

Dave helped choose the first pie, and it turned out to be a good one because you don't even have to make and roll out crust. It's a potpie, which means you put the filling right in the pie dish then cut out puff pastry for the top crust. Blackberry plum potpie, yum!



Blackberry Plum Potpie
From Martha Stewart

For the crust
1 package (14 ounces) thawed frozen puff pastry, chilled (Note: Phyllo dough is NOT puff pastry)
All-purpose flour, for baking sheet
1 large egg white, lightly beaten, for egg wash
Coarse and fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

For the filling
1 pound 4 ounces black plums, pitted and cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges (about 4 cups)
6 ounces blackberries (1 1/4 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Unfold pastry on a very lightly floured baking sheet, and roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness.
3. Set a 9-inch pie plate, upside down (do not press down), on 1 side of pastry, and cut around plate using a sharp paring knife.
   
4. Remove dish. Cut five 3/4-inch-wide strips from scraps. (I only had enough for 3, clearly I'm not Martha)
5. Brush round with egg wash (do not let drip down sides)
6. Adhere strips to surface, and brush again with egg wash.
   
7. Cut out a 2 1/2-inch hole in the center of pastry round using a biscuit cutter.
   
8. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
   
9. Freeze for 15 minutes.
10. Mix together plums, blackberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, five-spice powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
11. Pour filling into pie plate, and cover with parchment-lined foil. (I didn't know what parchment lined foil meant... I layered the parchment paper and foil and covered the dish, parchment side down)
    
12. Transfer to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
13. Bake pastry crust on top rack and filling in bottom third of oven for 30 minutes.
    
14. Transfer crust on baking sheet to a wire rack (it should be golden and cooked through). Let cool slightly.
15. Continue to bake filling until starting to bubble in center, about 30 minutes more.
    
16. Remove from oven, uncover, and top with pastry crust.
17. Bake pie until bubbling vigorously in center, about 10 minutes more. (If the crust looks like it's getting too dark, cover it with tin foil!)
    
18. Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.