Pastry chef Adriann Ramirez has shared four autumn pie recipes that highlight seasonal British produce including apples, pumpkins, plums and quince. The recipes incorporate ingredients such as piloncillo, a Mexican raw cane sugar, tonka bean, which adds a fig-leaf flavour, and buckwheat flour for a nutty taste. These ingredients may require extra effort to source, but Ramirez says they are worth it, taking the bakes to the next level.
Piloncillo Pumpkin Pie
The piloncillo pumpkin pie takes 10 minutes to prepare, 1 hour 30 minutes to chill or freeze, and 2 hours to cook, serving 8-12 people. For the pie dough, combine 90g cold water and 30g apple cider vinegar in a container and freeze for about 10 minutes. In a stand mixer, whisk together 375g plain flour, 50g caster sugar and 5g table salt, then add 250g cold butter cut into six chunks and mix on slow until broken down but with some medium-large pieces remaining. Add the water and vinegar, mix until a shaggy dough forms, then flatten, stack, and chill for one hour.
Roll the dough into a 25cm circle, press into a 23cm tin, crimp the edges, and freeze for 15 minutes. Blind bake at 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 for 15 minutes with baking beans, then remove and bake for a further 10 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and bake for five minutes to seal. For the filling, whisk together 200g double cream, 115g whole milk, three medium eggs (170g), 300g grated piloncillo or brown sugar, 50g maple syrup, 425g tinned pumpkin, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp rum, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tsp mixed spice, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg and tonka bean. Reduce the oven to 150C (130C fan)/300F/gas 2 and bake for 45-50 minutes until only a slight wobble remains. Serve cold with lightly whipped double cream.
Pecan, Buckwheat and Chocolate Pie
This pie takes 10 minutes to prepare, 1 hour 15 minutes to chill or freeze, and 1 hour 30 minutes to cook, making 8-12 servings. For the dough, beat 140g softened unsalted butter and 85g icing sugar for three minutes, then add one medium egg. Whisk together 45g buckwheat flour, 175g sieved plain flour, 30g ground almond and 15g cocoa powder, then combine with the butter mixture. Chill the dough for at least an hour, then roll out and press into a 20cm tart tin, freezing for 15 minutes. Blind bake at 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 for 15 minutes with baking beans, then five minutes more without.
For the filling, combine 150g granulated sugar, 155g maple syrup, 165g golden syrup, 2 tbsp rum, 1 tbsp sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and the zest of half an orange in a saucepan. Cook until boiling, then add 55g cold unsalted butter. Let cool to room temperature and whisk in three lightly beaten eggs (170g). Spread 300g pecan halves in the pie shell, pour over the filling, and bake for 40-45 minutes until just set. Serve cooled with creme fraiche.
Quince and Apple Crumble Pie
This pie serves 8-10 and takes 15 minutes to prepare, 1 hour 15 minutes to chill or freeze, and 1 hour 45 minutes to cook. Use the same pie dough as the piloncillo pumpkin pie, blind baking it at 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 for 15 minutes with beans, then 10 minutes more. For the filling, peel and core 500g crisp apples like Rosette, Discovery or Jazz, cut into quarters and thinly slice; grate 200g quince. Toss with 50g caster sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp plain flour, a sprinkle of sea salt, the juice of one lemon and a few gratings of nutmeg, and leave to macerate.
For the crumble, mix 200g plain flour, 175g dark brown sugar, 25g demerara sugar, 1 tbsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp table salt, then rub in 150g cold cubed unsalted butter until it just begins to clump. Toss in 100g roughly chopped pecans. Spread the fruit on the baked dough, top with the crumble, and bake at 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 for 40-45 minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream, ice-cream or custard.
Spiced Plum Slab Pie
This slab pie takes 10 minutes to prepare, 1 hour 30 minutes to chill, 30 minutes to macerate, and 2 hours to cook, serving 8-10. Make a double batch of the pie dough using 180g cold water, 60g apple cider vinegar, 750g plain flour, 100g caster sugar, 10g table salt and 500g cold butter, and chill for one hour. For the filling, cut 1kg plums into quarters and toss with 100g caster sugar, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, a pinch of ground cloves, a pinch of ground nutmeg, the seeds of one vanilla pod, the juice of one lemon, a pinch of salt and 3 tbsp cornflour. Leave for 30 minutes, then drain the liquid and boil until thick and glossy, then mix back into the plums.
Roll out two pieces of dough to fit a 25cm x 20cm baking tray with at least 3cm height, and chill for 30 minutes. Line the tray with one piece, blind bake at 190C (170C fan)/gas 5 for 15 minutes, then eight minutes more. Fill with the plum mixture, brush edges with double cream, top with the second dough piece, crimp, brush with more cream, sprinkle with demerara sugar, and cut two slits. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with creme fraiche, ice-cream or whipped cream.
Adriann Ramirez is head of pastry at Finks in north London.
