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–+ servings

Plum Tart with Frangipane

Dessert, Desserts
Buttery pastry, soft almond cream, and red plums baked until they're sweet and slightly jammy. The frangipane puffs up around the fruit, going golden at the edges. Dust it with icing sugar and you've got a proper French tart to make in late summer when plums are everywhere.
Plum Tart recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients 

For the pâte brisée
For the frangipane
For the filling

Equipment

Instructions

Make the pâte brisée

  1. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl or food processor. Add the cold butter cubes.
    If using a food processor, pulse until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. If working by hand, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips, work quickly so the butter stays cold.
    Beat the egg yolk (if using) with the cold water. Pour it over the flour mixture and bring it together into a dough. Add a splash more water if it's too dry. Don't overwork it and stop as soon as it comes together.
    Shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Overnight is fine too.
    The butter must stay cold. Work fast, handle it as little as possible. Overworking develops gluten and makes the pastry tough and shrink-y.

Line the fluted tart dish

  1. Take the pastry out of the fridge and let it sit for 10 minutes, makes it easier to roll.
    Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the pastry out to about 3mm thick, slightly bigger than your fluted tart dish.
    Lift it carefully (roll it around the rolling pin if it helps) and drape it over the tin. Press it gently into the corners and up the sides. Trim the excess with a sharp knife, leaving a 1cm overhang.
    Prick the base all over with a fork. Put it back in the fridge for 20 minutes, this stops it shrinking.
    Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
    If you want to blind bake (optional but recommended): Line the pastry with parchment, fill with baking beans or rice, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment, then bake for another 5 minutes until pale golden. Let it cool while you make the frangipane.
    Blind baking isn't essential for this tart because the frangipane absorbs moisture, but it helps if your plums are very juicy.

Make the frangipane

  1. Beat the soft butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer, longer by hand.
    Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Don't worry if it looks slightly curdled.
    Fold in the ground almonds and flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until just combined.
    The frangipane should be smooth and spreadable. If it's too thick, add a teaspoon of milk.

Prepare the plums

  1. Wash the plums. Cut them in half from top to bottom, twist to separate the halves, and remove the stones.
    If your plums are massive, cut each half into thirds. You want pieces that sit flat.
    Don't peel them, the skin adds colour and flavour.

Assemble the tart

  1. Spread the frangipane evenly over the pastry base, about 1cm thick. Use a spatula to smooth it out.
    Arrange the plum halves cut-side up on top of the frangipane, starting from the outside and working in circles towards the centre. Pack them in quite tightly, they'll shrink as they cook.
    Press them gently into the frangipane so they're sitting in it, not on top of it.
    Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of caster sugar over the top.

Bake

  1. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the frangipane is puffed up, golden brown, and set. The plums should be soft and slightly caramelized at the edges.
    If the edges of the pastry are browning too fast, cover them loosely with foil.
    Let the tart cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove it and transfer to a wire rack.
    Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted generously with icing sugar just before serving.

Notes

  • Plum varieties: Reine-claude (greengage) and quetsche (damson) plums are classic, but any firm, slightly tart plums work. Avoid very watery varieties, they'll make the tart soggy.
  • Make ahead: The pastry can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge, or frozen for a month. The frangipane can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before using. The assembled tart is best eaten the day it's baked, but keeps for 2 days at room temperature.
  • Almond allergy: Replace the ground almonds with the same weight of extra flour and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Won't be frangipane, but still delicious.
  • Too sweet: If your plums are very sweet, reduce the sugar in the frangipane to 80g.
  • Serving: Brilliant with crème fraîche, vanilla ice cream, or just on its own with coffee.
  • Pastry shrinkage: If your pastry keeps shrinking, you've overworked it or it wasn't cold enough when it went in the oven. Chill it properly between steps.
  • Soggy bottom: If the base is soggy, you didn't blind bake it or your plums were too juicy. Next time, cook the plums briefly in a pan to release some of their juice before using them.