By Keighley’s Mike Armstrong, an award-winning master baker with a big passion for baking...

THE last few plums looked at me from the fridge with a face that said ''use us''!

Plum pie with a hint of cinnamon and a golden pastry crust made from scratch is a delicious September dessert that no one could ever resist.

The plums are soft and sweet, but still have a nice bite to them, and the brown sugar and cinnamon add a lovely dark colour and flavour that ease us into autumn with excitement.

Now is the time to take full advantage of the fresh seasonal produce, as some of it won't last long.

Pies are a fantastic dessert, and they have been so for hundreds of years now.

They are both practical and delicious, and the ingredients used are minimal, and more than affordable. Everyone has got to enjoy them over the years, from rich to poor.

Apples remain the number one choice in most families when it comes to a sweet pie, but don't be put off as plums are definitely a good choice too, but make sure you use ripe ones – and the good news is you don't have to pre-cook the plums for the filling.

I rarely buy sweet pastry for making a pie, as making pastry from scratch is easy, and it has a great texture. Plus, I can make it as sweet as I like. But do think on, a single-crust pie for particularly juicy plums is a must. I would venture to suggest the underside of the pastry crust, where it meets the fruit, will produce so much juice that the bottom crust will collapse, leaving you with a dreaded soggy bottom as that catchphrase from Mary Berry comes to mind.

The Victoria plum is an English plum named after Queen Victoria. It was originally called Emperor but in 1837 the name was changed to Victoria, the year the monarch was crowned.

Plum pie always reminds me of the nursery rhyme Little Jack Horner when he sat in a corner, eating a Christmas pie, he put in his thumb and pulled out a plum, and said what a good boy am I. Little Jack Horner couldn't have put his thumb into a more delicious pie!

RECIPE

PLUM PIE

Ingredients:

Pastry:

100g/3 1/2oz butter, softened

100g/3 1/2oz caster sugar

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

180g/6oz self-raising flour

Filling:

800g/1lb 8oz ripe plums

2-3 tablespoons brown or caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then mix in the egg and add the flour to form a soft dough.

2. Knead the dough on a well-floured work surface until smooth, then rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4 and cut the plums in half and remove their stones.

4. Toss the plums into a large bowl with the sugar and cinnamon and put into a lightly buttered 22cm/8’’ baking dish.

5. Roll out the pastry with a little flour, then carefully lift onto the pie; if the crust is very short, you might have to patch up a few holes – take your time.

6. Brush the pastry lightly with milk and bake for around 25 minutes or till pale-biscuit colour. Dust with caster sugar and serve warm with cream.