Author of NYT’s most famous plum pie has died
On Saturday, September 20, at the age of 92, Marian Burros, the American writer and food columnist behind The New York Times’ most popular plum pie recipe, passed away. She died in a hospital a few days after suffering a heart attack.
This was reported by The New York Times.
What is known about Marian Burros
As a culinary editor for The Washington Star and The Washington Post in the 1970s, Burros emphasized consumer rights and food safety, expanding the traditional "women’s pages" by including not only recipes but also reports on nutrition, advertising honesty, and government policy.
"Marian was hugely ahead of her time in writing about the importance of food choices that not only improve health but also are sustainable and protect the environment," said Marion Nestle, professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.
She often combined writing recipes with investigative journalism. The New York Times notes that she could craft a cake recipe while simultaneously covering a congressional bill on sodium labeling or regulatory battles over federal dietary guidelines.
Burros’ famous plum pie recipe
You need 170–225 grams of sugar, two eggs, 24 plum halves, 115 grams of unsalted butter, 110 grams of flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, about one more teaspoon of sugar, two teaspoons of lemon juice, and one cinnamon.
How to make it?
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Beat the sugar and butter. Add the flour, baking powder, and eggs, and mix well.
- Place the dough in a 20–25 cm springform pan. Arrange the plum halves on the dough, rounded side up. Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with lemon juice. Then sprinkle with cinnamon. Adjust the amount based on the sweetness of the plums and how much you like cinnamon.
- Bake for one hour.
Marian Burros wrote that this pie freezes very well. To do so, wrap it in two layers of foil, place it in a plastic bag, and put it in the freezer. Later, it can be thawed and reheated in the oven at 150 degrees.
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