Easy Plum Tart

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

This party-worthy tart is a simple way to showcase the seasonal plums. You can easily substitute sliced apples or pears for the plums with great results. I used a basic sweet shortcrust, but you can definitely use store bought one. Chill your crust for at least 30 minutes. One of the reasons that fruit tarts have a soggy bottom is from the moisture of the fruit. The most effective way to prevent soggy crust is to blind bake the crust before filling with fruit. Another way to prevent the pastry crust from getting soggy is to sprinkle ground almonds (or breadcrumbs/graham cracker crumbs/crushed cornflakes, etc.) into the crust bottom, which helps soak up the juice released from the fruit during the baking. Slice the plums into even thin slices and try to keep the slices together so you can arrange them nicely into the crust without making a mess.

Sweet Shortcrust	Filling
200 g White spelt flour 60 g Wholegrain spelt flour 50 g Vanilla sugar A pinch of sea salt 100 g Butter, cold 40 g Lard	3 tbsp Ground almond, toasted (or breadcrumbs) 8 Ripe yet firm plums, cut into even thin slices 1/2 tbsp Honey (or maple syrup), optional Thyme leaves 30 g Butter, cubed Raw pistachios

1. Sift spelt flours into a large bowl and stir in vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt. Cut in butter and lard. Rub together with your fingertips until moist clumps form. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of a 24cm-26cm tart pan with removable bottom. Prick the crust all over with a fork. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven 190C/375F. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights. Bake for a further 8-10 minutes or until light golden. (This is called blind baking the crust, which is the most effective way to prevent soggy crust. If you are in a hurry, just sprinkle ground almond or breadcrumbs onto the crust. This too helps soak up the juice released from the fruit during the baking and keep the crust from getting soggy. )
3. Remove the crust from the oven and sprinkle the ground almond onto the crust. Arrange the plum slices in clusters, alternating between horizontal and vertical. There’s no need to be too fussy – as long as they fit snugly next to each other, it will be just fine.
4. Drizzle honey or maple syrup if using, thyme leaves, and dot with cubed butter. Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry edges are golden brown and the fruit is tender. Garnish with raw pistachios. Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2021 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com