Plum Pie

For the pastry: In a bowl, add the flour, cubed butter, salt, egg yolk, and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Knead into a smooth dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Divide the pastry into 3 portions. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 2 parts to the size of the pie plate. Place in the greased pie plate. Use a rolling pin to roll the edges out to hang over the pie plate rim.

Place a round of parchment paper over the pastry and fill with the dried beans. Bake in a 200°C (approximately 390°F) oven for 15 minutes. Take out and remove the beans.

For the filling: In a metal bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Stir in the double cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and butter. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a hand mixer until thick. Stir in the almonds.

For the topping: Rinse, halve and remove pits from the plums.

Pour the cream mixture into the pastry. Arrange the plum halves over top. Roll out the remaining portion of pastry dough and cut into shapes to decorate the top. Bake in a 180°C (approximately 350°F) oven for 45 minutes. If it browns too much during baking, cover with aluminum foil. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool.