Stone Fruit Lattice Pie

Wide strips of crust form a pleasing design that shows off the star ingredients. Choose firm ripe peaches and nectarines for the filling. If your fruit is overly soft, it may break down too much when it bakes and release a lot of liquid, making the filling runny. Once the pie has baked (for about 45-50 minutes) and been removed from the oven, allow plenty of time for it to cool completely before serving. We prefer topping each piece with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, though it can certainly hold its own without. If you want to dress up your lattice, sprinkle with turbinado sugar before baking. It will give the pastry a sweet, subtle crunch. Our Slab Pastry Crust recipe doesn't require more than 10 minutes of hands-on time, but you will want to allow for at least 30 minutes of chill time in the refrigerator prior to assembling your slab pie.

Crust:
1 unbaked pie crust in a 9" glass or metal pie pan

Filling:
2 lbs nectarines
1 lb peaches, peeled
1 lb plums
½ cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
¼ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
½ tsp. orange flower water (optional)
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Make the Crust:
Divide dough in half. Roll out one half according to Unbaked Pie Crust recipe. Roll out second dough disk on a lightly floured surface to a 14" round. Transfer round to a baking sheet. Cover and chill both crusts for 1 hour. Make Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Make the Filling:
Halve, pit, and cut fruit into ½" thick slices. Place all fruit in a large bowl. Add ½ cup sugar and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Strain fruit, reserving ¼ cup of liquid; return fruit to same bowl. Whisk cornstarch and reserved fruit liquid in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture, nutmeg, and orange-flower water, if using, to fruit; toss gently.

Pour fruit mixture into unbaked pie crust in dish. Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut 14" dough round into ¾" wide strips. Weave strips over filling, forming a lattice. Trim strips ½" shorter than dough overhang. Fold overhang over strips and crimp edges decoratively.

Brush beaten egg over crust edges and lattice. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. sugar over. Set pie on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bake pie for 40 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).Bake until crust is golden brown and juices bubble, about 40 minutes longer.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Makes 8 servings.