Dried Fruit Pie

This is the pie you bake when fresh fruit is nowhere to be found and you still want something spectacular on the table. Prunes, dried apricots, golden raisins, and dried apples get a quick simmer to plump them up, then tossed with walnuts and melted butter for a filling that’s dense, fruity, and rich.

A lattice top lets steam escape and shows off that gorgeous jewel-toned filling underneath. A shower of cinnamon sugar over the lattice gives it a crackly, spiced crust that shatters when you cut into it.

This is old-school holiday baking energy, but since dried fruit lives in your pantry, you can make it any time the craving strikes.

Pro Tips

• Simmer the fruit just until plump, about 10 minutes. Overcooking makes the filling mushy and hard to slice.
• Chop the fruit coarsely so you get a mix of textures. Uniform tiny pieces make the filling feel like baby food.
• Mound the filling high in the center. It settles as it bakes, and a flat start means a sunken finish.
• Let the pie cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. The butter and sugar need time to set, or the filling will ooze everywhere.