Spiced plum pie

Halve plums, remove stones and place in a saucepan with the lid on. Heat gently to a simmer and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour off any excess liquid, then stir in brown sugar, cornflour, cinnamon, and zest; set aside to cool completely. Filling can be frozen at this point for future use. Make the pastry (see below).

Preheat oven to 200°C. Dust a 23cm pie plate with flour. On a floured bench, roll one pastry disc out to line the pie dish, leaving a 1½ cm overhang all the way around. Scatter the semolina in the bottom; place on a baking tray.

When filling is cold, pour into the prepared tin. Roll remaining pastry out to a sheet large enough to cover the pie with a small overhang. Cut decorative shapes out to allow steam to release. Gently lay over the top. Fold pastry overhang up over the edge of pie, forming a deep rim on the edge of pie dish. Crimp with your fingers or a fork. Brush pastry with egg white and sprinkle with sugar, if using.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 190°C and continue cooking a further 40 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or cold.

Stir together flour, sugar and salt. Using a knife, pastry blender or processor, cut in butter until pieces are pea sized. Add water and vinegar and mix lightly, then turn onto bench. Mixture will be crumbly. Don't knead; use a lifting and folding-over motion to gather the crumbs; fold, press and repeat, folding and pressing until dough forms – about 2 minutes. Roll into a log, divide in 2, flatten each half into a disc, wrap, and chill for an hour.