Test 3 - Damson Pie 3

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/711636/damson-pie

1 - First attempt, not bad in spite of goofs. I blind-baked the crust at the wrong temperature and it went all manky. Interestingly, we ate half the pie hot where the crust seemed non-existent underneath, and the juice from the plums was all runny. The next day, once the pie had cooled, the crust appeared and the plums had gelled.
2 - I blind baked properly; added 1/4 cup sugar to the custard; added 2 Tbsps flour to the plum juice; omitted the honey. Erica felt the plums were less tart, which she missed, but Ben and Chad liked tonight's version better. The extra whites I used to make pasta dough for parsnip ravioli.
3 - This time I made it for Matthew's birthday potluck. I didn't add flour this time, and allowed the pie to cool (almost) completely. The plums were frozen, so I stewed them with the pits in, which I think is better because of the slight almond flavour they give. After stewing, I separated the juices and let the juice and the plums cool while making the rest of the pie, and the juices turned to jelly! Like, completely jellied. So, slight variations could be to

• blind bake the crust, let it cool completely
• stew the plums and strain the juices directly into the cooled crust, pit the fruit and let it cool completely
• mix the hot cream and yolk, allow to cool completely, an pour on top
• bake and allow to cool completely before serving. 

Would there be a noticeable difference? Would the extra effort really make a difference? When I first made it, everything was hot and the plum mixture swirled up into the custard, which was rather pretty and could give a lovely pink marbling effect. But the thicker layer of fruit and juices of tonight's pie was equally appealing. More variations to try!

1 recipe pie crust, baked blind @ 400F for 15 minutes, completely cooled
8oz fresh damsons, washed and pitted
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup milk
6 egg yolks

1. Blind bake the crust and let cool completely!
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
3. Stew the fruit with the 1/4 cup sugar and water until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the pits, and spread the fruit equally across the bottom of the crust.
4. Return the juices to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes more, to get the juices to the jellying stage.  Allow to cool slightly and, before it gels, pour drain the juice in a bowl and whisk in the flour. into the pie crust and over the fruit . Allow this to cool completely and gel.
5. Put the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Slowly warm the cream, milk and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan. Just before boiling, remove from the heat and, whisking constantly, slowly pour into the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth. Only pour over the fruit once the plum juices have gelled.
6. Scatter the stewed fruit into the pastry case, and pour in the juice. Slowly pour over the custard mixture. 
7. Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes or until set.