Stone Fruit and Cream Slab Pie
 
 
Makes 1 (15×10-inch) pie
Ingredients
Crust:
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cold whole buttermilk, divided
Filling:
  • 1¾ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup sugar, divided
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
  • ½ cup apricot jam, melted
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cups (¼-inch-thick) sliced assorted fresh stone fruit (see Kitchen Tip)
  • ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
  • Peach Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
Peach Whipped Cream
  • 2 fresh peaches, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
For crust:
  1. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, pulsing until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add ½ cup buttermilk, pulsing until a dough forms. Add remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk, if needed. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly spray the bottom of a 15×10-inch cast-iron baking sheet with cooking spray.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 17×12-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to prepared pan, pressing into bottom and up sides of pan. Trim dough to ¼ inch past edges of pan, if needed. Fold edges under, and crimp as desired. Prick dough all over bottom and sides with a fork, and place pan in freezer until firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Top dough with a piece of parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. Add pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove paper and weights. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. For filling: In a small Dutch oven, heat milk and ¼ cup sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until steaming. (Do not boil.) In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to pan; bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.
  6. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids; stir in butter until melted and well combined. Stir in vanilla. Cover custard with plastic wrap, pressing directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until thick and cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
For topping:
  1. In a large bowl, stir together melted jam and lemon juice; gently stir in fruit until coated.
  2. Spread filling into prepared crust; gently spoon fruit mixture all over filling. Sprinkle with pecans. Serve with Peach Whipped Cream.
Peach Whipped Cream
  1. In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse peaches until smooth.
  2. In a large bowl, beat peach purée, cream, and sugar with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form, about 1½ minutes. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.
Notes
KITCHEN TIP: Although this recipe may seem intimidating, each step can be done in advance, and the pie can be assembled right before you eat. We used a mix of apricots, peaches, and plums, but you can use any single stone fruit or combination of them that you like. Peeling the fruit is optional as well. If you don’t have a 15×10-inch cast-iron baking pan, the pie can be made in a traditional metal baking sheet of the same size.
Recipe by Southern Cast Iron at https://southerncastiron.com/stone-fruit-cream-slab-pie/