When you realize there are plums in your fridge and remember you bookmarked a delicious recipe like this one, you simply go into the kitchen and start measuring.
Stone fruit - plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines, cherries - will be in season soon, and we all want to have a few easy recipes on hand. This is by far one of the best, though a look at other recipes from this category might uncover another favorite.
'How do you make the perfect plum tart? With perfect fruit and a killer recipe.' I agree wholeheartedly.
What plums are best for this recipe.
Red plums (image below), the most common ones found everywhere are great for this recipe. Inside the color can go from yellow to purple-red (I just invented a color I think) and have a small stone pit in the center, hence the stone fruit category name.
If you have a favorite seasonal plum, by all means, use it. Be sure the fruit is acidic to balance the sweet, crunchy crumble. Here is a good read if you want to learn more about types of plums and experiment with different ones.
How to prepare the plums.
The red plums need to be cored (that is taking out the pit), cut in half and then into thirds.
The easiest way to core them - something I found out while making this Plum Hazelnut Cake - is with an apple corer, It is a life saver and a reason to buy the gadget, let me tell you. It works great with apricots too.
Be sure you don't have very large pieces of fruit as they will make it more difficult to eat and take longer to soften while baking. A good, sharpened kitchen knife is another must when making fruit desserts.
How to make the base and topping.
You mix them together in one bowl! One of the reasons this tart recipe is amazing and becomes a favorite fast is that you make a crumble and use it as base and topping. One mixture, two uses. How's that for easiness?
Best two tips when making the shell:
- Make sure to press a fairly thick side wall and also pay special attention to the union between the wall and the bottom. This is very important to ensure it will stand firm when you take it out of the pan and doesn't break.
- You can also bake it, without the plums, for 10 minutes to make extra sure that the shell hardens enough to unmold well. During baking, the butter, egg and dry ingredients will meld and the tart dough will come out firmer.
Ina Garten's Plum Tart
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Take advantage of plums and make this one-bowl recipe with few ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65g) finely chopped almonds
- ¾ cup (130g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 12 Tbs (180g) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 pounds (950g) firm, ripe plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise
- 1/2 cup (125g) whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons (20g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF / 200ºC.
- Have ready an 8-inch square or round tart pan with removable bottom.
- Core plums (see note below), cut in half and each half in thirds or fourths.
- Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the butter and the egg yolk.
- Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly. I always do it in the food processor.
- Press 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom and sides of the pan. Be sure to press on the unions bottom/side so that it un-molds well.
- Arrange plums in the pan, skin-side down, in whatever pattern you want; begin from the outside and work your way in.
- Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums.
- Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and cool for about 1 hour. Being careful, gently remove the tart from the pan and transfer it to a flat plate. You don't want to break the edges.
- Serve warm or at room tº with cream with powdered sugar. I don't whip it, but that's up to you.
Notes
While cutting the plums I keep the lined tart shell in the refrigerator.
An apple corer is the best gadget to core plums. It will allow you to easily take out the pit, so you can then cut the plum in half, and each piece in 3 slices.
The amount of crumble you use depends on the plum-topping ratio you want. Be sure to pack the plum slices snugly together; when you think you don't have more space pack a few more in between. They will shrink during baking.
You can also use walnuts instead of almonds.
Don't skip the egg yolk in the crumble, it makes it incredibly crunchy!
If you like to serve it with whipped cream, simply whip it with the powdered sugar until it holds almost firm peaks. Be careful not to overbeat it or it will curdle.
Keywords: plum tart, fruit dessert, fruit crumble
"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.
Fruit changed so much in the last decades, it is a shame. Have a great 2018 Karen!
I love plum tarts and now can't wait for plum season!
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!
Hi Marilyn, how are you? Such a long time! Hope you have an amazing 2018!
Crumble makes the tart! Looks irresistible!
OOoh wish I'd seen this sooner. Your tart looks delicious! I made a plum and almond tart last week and while it was delicious, the plums seemed to dry out during baking based on being placed on top instead of being mixed in. I'm bookmarking this one.
This tart will keep the fruit moist. It also good with apricots or other tart fruit.
Wow!!! Great recipe, but you're right, it gets harder everyday to find really good tasting fruit!!!
I´m glad you liked it!
This is a well written post, lots of tips and clear instructions. Plums are sometimes the forgotten fruit and I am glad this was your fruit of choice-yum! I used to eat a lot of these but for some reason have gotten away from it. Your tart is a delicious reminder that it is time to enjoy some.