In late summer plums in a rainbow of colours fill my baskets. I carefully sort them. Choosing the not quite ripe plums to make this pie. Some we eat out of hand. Plum juice staining our fingers. The rest are popped in the freezer to be used straight from the freezer and into the pie shells, without thawing.
This pâte brisée recipe is one you’ll use over and over again. It showcases any fresh fruit – from berries to apples – beautifully. A scoop of ice cream or a drift of whipped cream takes it to divine decadence.
| CARAMELIZED PLUM TART | Print |
: Dessert pies
Cuisine: French
: Mrs Butterfingers
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: 8
Sugar-studded caramelized pastry filled with seasonal fruit: berries, figs, cherries, stone fruits, apples, and pears.
Ingredients
- TART PASTRY (pate brisee)
- 7 oz (200 g) (about 1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus a little extra for rolling
- 3.5 oz . (100g) (7 tbs.) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1 large egg
- Ice-cold water - just in case.
- PLUM TART
- 2 tsp (10 g) unsalted soft butter
- ¼ cup sugar(or a combination of granulated sugar and pearl sugar)
- 1¾ pounds (800 g) just-ripe small plums. (Do not use overly ripe plums or fruit. They will release too much juice)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) apricot jam
Instructions
- In a food processor combine flour, salt and butter and process for 5-10 seconds, until you get a bread crumb-like consistency. There should still be a scattering of larger pieces of butter.
- Add the egg and process for a few more seconds JUST UNTIL THE EGG is combined.
- Turn the flour mixture out onto your work surface and see if you're able to father the dough into a ball. If the dough seems a little dry sprinkle with one or two teaspoons of water and mix with a fork.
- Knead lightly for a few seconds.
- Now put the tart together
- Grease a 10 inch (25 cm) metal tart pan with a removable bottom with butter and sprinkle the bottom and sides generously and evenly with the sugar.
- Roll out the pastry and line the pan with it, trimming the excess for a roll of the pin.
- Tuck it into the refrigerator and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425F (220c) . If your oven heat comes from the bottom heating element position your oven rack in the one third of the oven.. It will create a deeper, rich caramelized crust.
- THE FRUIT FILLING
- Halve and pit the plums. If your fruit is large cut them into quarters or sixths/ Arrange the plums skin side down on the dough in a circular pattern, starting from the outside, overlapping slightly; the plums will shrink slightly as they bake.
- Place the tart on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet (just in case!) and bake 20 minutes or so until the plums are tender.
- When the tart is baking in a small sauce pan, heat the apricot jam over low heat.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.
- Remove the tart from the oven BUT LEAVE THE OVEN ON. Using a pastry brush generously glaze the sides of the tart, outside and in, and the top of the fruit.
- Return your tart to the oven and bake until darkly caramelized - 5 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a rack to cool completely
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Your plum tart looks delicious…I haven’t made one in years and that should change.
You now have “plum tarts” to look forward to, Karen. The season for plums (as most stoned fruits) passes so quickly and then we are filled with regrets. So little time. So much wonderful fruit. I have spotted plums out of season in our local grocery store. I must confess that is the time you’ll find me whipping up a plum tart. Bon Appetit, Virginia
I love it when plums are in season. This makes the plum tart extra special. Enjoy Karen, cheers Virginia