Ingredients

• 6 ounces (2/3 of 8 oz. Package) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened.
• 5 tablespoons Butter, chilled, and cut into small pieces, (about 8).
• 7 tablespoons All-Vegetable shortening: chilled, in 1 Tbs. size pieces.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3 1/2 cups (8-9 medium to large) pitted Black Plums, do not peel. I cut each half into three wedges then once again across the wedges to make nice bite sized pieces.
• 2 Apples thinly sliced, peeled, & cored. Use your choice of pie apple.
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened (remainder of 8 oz. Package).
• 4 tablespoons Cornstarch. If served warm from the oven, the pie will be very juicy. Once cooled, it sets up nicely.
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup Optional: * Rum
• 1/8 teaspoon Optional: * Almond extract

Directions

1. To make the pastry, I like using my food processor, so; blend sugar, salt & flour in processor.
2. Pulse, adding butter & shortening alternately, then add softened cream cheese, pulsing to incorporate.
3. Do not over work pastry!
4. Unless you have a large processor, you may need to use your mixer to incorporate the cream cheese.
5. Shape into 2 balls; (one a little bit larger for the bottom crust) flatten each slightly.
6. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while making filling, about 30 minutes or more.
7. Roll out dough two inches larger, all around, than the size pie plate you are using, when inverted over rolled out pastry.
8. Put pastry into pie plate. It is ready to fill and either cover with remaining rolled out pastry, or cut out 10 – 12, ½” wide strips and make lattice top pie.
9. You can cut remaining pastry into shapes, to decorate pie. Sprinkle them with sugar if you like.
10. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
11. Filling: Combine all ingredients except for plumbs, apples & butter.
12. Once fully blended, stir in plumbs and apples to fully coat with mixture.
13. Pour into prepared pie plate, & dot top with butter.
14. Put on top pastry, make several small slashes, or cut a ¾” hole in the center, to vent steam.
15. Bake @ 375deg. until crust is golden, 30 – 40 minutes. Don’t over brown!
16. Serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, and mint leaves garnish.