PLUM ALMOND TART

This has become my go-to tart recipe for baked fruit, as the almond cream bakes into a cake that surrounds the fruit. I love it with apples, apricots, peaches or pears, but my favourite version is with plums because their transformation from austere little fruit to scarlet red loveliness never gets old. And it tastes great. Serve for dessert with any kind of cream, or solo with coffee — especially at breakfast!

For the crust:

1-1/3 cups (330 mL) all-purpose flour 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar ½ teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt ½ cup (1 stick or 125 mL) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes 1 large egg 2½ tbsp (37.5 mL) heavy cream

Mix together the flour, sugar and salt and then cut the butter into the flour using a knife, your hands, or an electric mixer until the butter is broken down into pieces the size of peas. Whisk together the egg and the cream, make a well in the centre of your flour and gradually incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Knead lightly, shape into a ball, and refrigerate for a few hours, but preferably overnight.

For the filling:

¼ cup (60 mL) butter ¼ cup (60 mL) sugar 1/3 cup (80 mL) ground almonds 1 egg 1 tbsp (15 mL) flour ½ tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract ½ tsp (2.5 mL) almond extract

Using an electric mixer or hand blender, beat the butter together with the sugar. Add the almonds and then the egg. Beat on high speed until the mixture becomes very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and the extracts and beat until well incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble the tart:

About 30 Italian plums 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar ½ tsp (2.5 mL) cinnamon

Prepare a 9-inch (23-cm) tart mould with a removable bottom. Roll out your dough on a floured surface into a large round about 3 mm in thickness (you should just begin to see the pattern of your counter through the dough. Carefully transfer the dough into your mould and press well into the corners. Remove the overhanging dough and chill about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C).

Slice your plums in half and remove all the pits. Spread the almond cream in an even layer over the base of the raw tart shell and then arrange the plums, cut side up, in concentric circles starting from the outside in (even if you just spread the plums in an even layer over the cream without arranging hem, the tart will still look and taste great). Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and then sprinkle it evenly over the surface of the plums. Place the tart on a baking sheet (just in case the plum juices boil over when baking) and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 F (190 C) and bake for about 30 minutes more or until the juices are bubbling and the almond cream has puffed up and is a deep golden colour. Let cool on a rack and then unmould the tart. Serve warm or room temperature with cream or solo.

Serves 10.