This single-crust pie presents fruit
[Fruits that work exceptionally well in this pie include blueberries, rhubarb, ground cherries, poha (aka cape gooseberries), peaches, plums, tart apples. Blackberries aren’t at their best here unless they’re perfectly ripe and sweet. Adjust sweetness and tartness as needed.]
 beautifully, concentrating the flavor while contrasting it with an eggy custard
[Sometimes a lighter custard works better; in that case, have a look at my mother’s original recipe.]
 and a particularly tasty crust.

  • 1 pâte brisée pie crust
    [This is Stephanie Jaworski’s amazing pâte brisée (at http://www.joyofbaking.com/PieCrust.html, complete with a video). You can whip it up in the food processor in minutes. The recipe makes two crusts, so you’ll have a head start on the next pie.]

  • ⅔ cup almonds

  • Enough fruit to fill the pie pan generously
    [For my pie pan, that’s about a quart. Frozen fruit works fine, too, but I like to defrost it in the microwave first. Save whatever liquid drains; unless it’s just tasteless melted ice, use it as part of the liquid in the custard, but note that this will reduce the contrast between the fruit and the custard.]

  • 2 eggs

  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

  • ⅔ cup sugar or agave nectar

  • 1 tablespoon flour

  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • ¾ cup (approx.) yoghurt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • additional sugar for topping

  1. Prepare the crust ahead of time so it can rest in the refrigerator for an hour or so, then roll it out and line the pie pan per Stephanie’s guidance. Then pop it back in the refrigerator to chill and rest some more.

  2. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  3. Chop the almonds in a nut chopper. If you use a food processor, be careful not to chop them too fine.

  4. Cover the bottom of the crust with the almonds and pre-bake the crust a bit, say 10 minutes.

  5. Whisk the eggs with the salt, sugar/agave nectar, flour and nutmeg.

  6. In a separate container, like a cup, dissolve the cornstarch in a little bit of the yoghurt, then stir in the rest of the yoghurt and the vanilla.

  7. Add the yoghurt mixture to the eggs and whisk well.

  8. Remove crust from oven and fill with fruit.

  9. Pour the custard over the fruit and bake for ten minutes.

  10. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, then in ten-minute increments until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If in doubt, bake longer, just don’t burn it.

  11. Remove from oven. While hot, sprinkle with sugar
    [Sprinkling with sugar is optional, depending on the sweetness of the fruit and your own tastes. For certain fruits, adding a bit of ground cardamom or ginger to the sugar adds a dramatic and unexpected highlight.]

  12. Cool, then chill
    [Well, obviously, some pies are best warm or even hot (ouch!) from the oven.]
    .