We assembled this from a few on-line recipes, and some trial and error. One lesson: for experiments, buy a pre-made crust. The result is driven by the plums – try them first; plums vary perhaps more than any other fruit. The tartness is counteracted well by the spice and sugar. I was OK with the store-bought shell; my (European) wife was not, and well, home-made is always better.

Pie Crust, top and bottom. Make from scratch, or purchase pre-made.

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 1/2 pounds plums, halved, pitted, quarter each half

Roll out 1 pie crust disk on floured surface to 13 1/2-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Refrigerate crust while preparing filling.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°F. Place foil-lined baking sheet in bottom of oven to catch any spills. Mix 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in small bowl; set aside. Whisk 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and next 6 ingredients in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Add plums and toss to coat. Spoon filling into crust, mounding slightly in center.

Roll out second pie crust disk on floured surface to 13 1/2-inch round. Drape crust over filling; trim overhang to 1 inch. Press top and bottom crust edges together. Fold edges under; crimp. Using sharp knife, cut four 2-inch-long slits in center of top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush crust with egg white. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon sugar over crust.

Bake pie 30 minutes. Tent pie loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning. Continue to bake until filling bubbles thickly through slits, about 1 hour longer. Cool completely on rack.