Deep Dish Plum Pie

FILLING
3 c Plums, Canned, Pitted,
Drained — juice reserved
3/4 c Reserved Plum Juice
2 1/2 tb Tapioca
1/8 ts Salt
1 tb Lemon Juice
1/4 ts Almond Extract
1 tb Butter

For the crust: Combine sifted flour with salt and sift into a mixing
bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until
mixture is the texture of small peas. Sprinkle with ice water,
stirring with a fork. Using your hands, pat dough into a ball, wrap
in wax paper, and refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat oven to 425
F.

For the filling: Halve and pit plums and set aside. Pour plum juice
into a small bowl. Add tapioca, salt, lemon juice, and almond
extract. Blend well, then let stand for 10 mins. Divide dough in
half, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Line a deep pie dish with half
of the pastry dough.

Fill with plums. Pour plum juice mixture over plums and dot with
butter. Top with upper crust and flute edges to seal. Cut a
crisscross design in center of pie so that steam can escape. Bake for
50 mins or until crust is golden.

Yield 8 servings.

Note: For a less crusty pie, this recipe works well with a single
top-layer crust.