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Fall Fruit Slab Pie

Fall Fruit Slab Pie

Autumn 2024

By: Victoria Walsh

This tender and lusciously sweet recipe can be used with whatever seasonal fruits you have on hand, with lots of options to customize the ingredients to match your personal taste. Toss the fruit with sugar and spices, then adjust to your liking before adding the flour or encasing and baking it up between layers of incredibly tasty, butter-laden pastry.

 

Makes 16 to 24 servings

PASTRY
3 3/4 cups (925 mL) all-purpose flour, plus more flour for dusting
3 tbsp (45 mL) granulated sugar, plus 1/2 to 2 tsp (2 to 10 mL) for sprinkling
3/4 tsp (4 mL) kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes (see TIP)
1 tbsp (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 to 12 tbsp (120 to 180 mL) ice-cold water
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 mL) cream, milk or egg, beaten with a little water

FILLING
8 cups (2 L) thickly sliced pears, plums or apples, or a mix, with slices about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick
3/4 to 1 cup (175 to 250 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) baking spices, using a mix such as ground cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2 mL) kosher salt
2 cups (500 mL) fresh raspberries or 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) cranberries or seedless Concord grapes, sliced in half
3 tbsp (45 mL) melted butter, cooled
1/3 cup (80 mL) all-purpose flour

 

1. To prepare pastry, place flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl or in a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Whisk or whirl to mix. Add butter. Use your fingers and thumbs to quickly cut in the butter or, if using a food processor, whirl until chunky, coarse crumbs form. It’s okay if you have some chunks of butter. Add lemon juice and 8 tbsp (120 mL) cold water. Continue to mix until dough comes together, adding more water, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, as needed.

2. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead to bring dough together, then divide into two balls and form each into a squarish shape. Wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

3. When ready to bake, set one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to fit a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. This recipe works well with a baking sheet measuring 11 x 16 inches (28 x 40 cm). Loosely roll pastry around rolling pin then unroll over prepared baking sheet. Shape and fit so it comes up to the rim pressing the corners and trimming to fit. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

4. To prepare filling, toss sliced fruit (apples, pears or plums) with sugar, spices, vanilla and salt. Fold in remaining fruit (raspberries, cranberries or grapes) and butter. Taste and add more sugar, vanilla and spices, if you like. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup (80 mL) flour and gently fold just until mixed. Set aside.

5. Roll out remaining portion of dough until it’s the same width and length as your baking sheet. Prepare the top crust (see p. 60 for options). Tumble fruit filling over pie, spreading fruit out evenly and pouring any remaining juices and mixture evenly overtop. Refrigerate to chill while preheating oven.

6. Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). 

7. Layer pastry on top of filling, sealing edges if you’ve done a full piece for the top crust. Brush pastry with cream, milk or egg wash.

8. Bake in centre of preheated oven until golden, about 50 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and let cool for 1 to 2 hours. Slice into squares. Excellent served warm or at room temperature with scoops of vanilla ice cream.

 

Makes 16 to 24 servings

TIP Many believe that shortening is the best way to go for added flakiness, but IMO it’s better to go for all-butter pastry because it still yields tender and flaky results but with much more flavour. 


What to Serve

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