Take advantage of stone fruit and make the best plum bars! I'm updating this fabulous and easy recipe with a buttery shortbread base, a juicy layer of fruit and a finger-licking crumb topping with almonds. It was retested and is crunchier and better than ever.
Juicy and buttery
You'll get a sweet filling with soft plums and crunchy bites with a toasted nuttiness that makes them even better. A truly wonderful bar recipe.
Stone fruit—plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries—has a short season, and we all want to have a few easy recipes on hand. This is one of them.
And, just like this cake with plums or plum cobbler, it uses simple ingredients and lets the plums shine.
Testing Notes
Pack the plum slices snugly together. When you think you don't have enough space, pack a few more in between. They will shrink during baking and you want a nice layer of fruit. So the amount of plums may vary.
If you have less-than-stellar plums, this recipe is perfect! It's one of the reasons why crumble recipes are so popular. They transform your little rocks or mushy fruits into a great dessert, made even better when topped with ice cream.
Be sure the plums have an acidic base, a needed characteristic to balance the sweet filling and buttery base. I use fresh red plums, the most common ones. If you have a favorite seasonal one, by all means, use it. Here is a good read about types of plums to experiment with different ones.
Cut the plums into pieces that are easy to eat. Large pieces or thick wedges make it more difficult to bite and take longer to soften while baking. A good, sharpened kitchen knife is another must when making fruit desserts.
An apple corer is the best gadget to core plums. It allows you to remove the pit or stone easily and cut the plum into wedges.
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Plum Bars (with almond crumble)
Ingredients
For the shortbread base:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the plum layer:
- 2 pounds fresh plums, ripe but firm
For the crumb topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup finely chopped almonds
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
Instructions
For the shortbread base:
- With a whisk or electric hand mixer on low, cream ½ cup unsalted butter with ¼ cup granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add pinch salt and 1 cup all-purpose flour in two parts, combining well. Do not overmix. It will be crumbly.
- Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper and pat the dough evenly on the bottom. Lightly flour the tips of your fingers if needed. Be sure all the surface is covered as evenly as possible.
- Prick the bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes. While the crust is resting, prepare the crumble and the plums.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°).
- Pre-bake for about 10 minutes until it begins to dry. Remove from the oven and reserve on a wire rack.
For the crumble topping:
- Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ cup light brown sugar in a medium bowl.
- Add ½ cup unsalted butter and mix to integrate with a pastry cutter or your hands until crumbly.
- Stir in the ⅓ cup finely chopped almonds. Reserve in the fridge while preparing the plums.
To assemble:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Core 2 pounds fresh plums (I use an apple corer), cut them in half and slice each half in thin wedges.
- Arrange the plum pieces over the shortbread base, in whatever pattern you want.
- Sprinkle the cold crumb mixture evenly over the plums.
- Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes or until it's a light golden brown and the plum juices are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen up any bits that might be stuck. Cool completely before removing the block from the pan.
- Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature (it has more flavor than cold), plain or with whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Steps to make plum bars
Baking pan: I use an 8-inch pan and get thick squares. For thinner ones, use a 9-inch pan or an 8x11-inch rectangular pan. Or use an 8-inch round pie pan with a removable bottom and make an easy plum tart.
The crumble
We start with the usual three ingredients: butter, sugar and flour, but then go a little further and add chopped almonds for a wonderful crunch.
The crust
We pre-bake it for 10 minutes. It will partially dry and bake, developing a layer that will prevent sogginess as much as we can.
Plum filling
I like rather thin wedges arranged in rows. You can also cut them in half for smaller bites. There's no right or wrong way; it doesn't have to be an even layer, as it will be covered; you won't see the pattern.
Topping
Keep it refrigerated while assembling the rest of the bars. This way, it will be crunchier after it's baked.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- A good recipe for not-so-great plums: if you find yourself with debatable-tasting stone fruit, bake these bars. Never mind if you have a combination of hard, sandy, or over-ripe plums. They all work.
- Serving: These squares are great on their own or served warm as a plated dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream on top. Or make it effortless and drizzle cream directly from the container over the warm squares, as my family does.
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Lisa says
This was delicious! However, Zthere was no way this would all fit in an 8X8”,pan! I used a 9” X 3” round tart pan with a removable bottom, and it was filled to the very top! I also had to lower the oven temperature to 350F. as the top was browning too quickly.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
"Transforms your little rocks into a great dessert" sold me on trying this. It really is a shame that stone fruit is picked green instead of letting them ripen for that taste that we all wish for.
Paula Montenegro says
Fruit changed so much in the last decades, it is a shame. Have a great 2018 Karen!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
I love plum tarts and now can't wait for plum season!
Marilyn Kakudo says
Hi Paula! I love this tart and have made it a couple of times myself, Hope we have a good local fruit year this summer. Last year's was almost a complete bust as far as cherries, apricots and plums here in Colorado.
A belated Happy New Year to you! Cheers!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Marilyn, how are you? Such a long time! Hope you have an amazing 2018!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Crumble makes the tart! Looks irresistible!
wp_vknotes_admin says
This tart will keep the fruit moist. It also good with apricots or other tart fruit.