I know it can be difficult to fathom, however, there are some people who dislike pumpkin pie. I KNOW, RIGHT? To appease those folks, this plum almond tart is a refreshing alternative to traditional pumpkin and pecan pies running rampant this time of year. Or for extra variation it is a lovely addition to a holiday dessert table. Since there’s fruit in it, it is obviously extremely healthy. I made a galette version for Waverley’s birthday family dinner last month and it was a total hit. It was the first time I’d used plums in a dessert and after the first bite I wondered what had taken me so long. In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I gave this recipe a makeover for a more festive appearance and added extra spices that match the season.
See these delicious, super juicy plums? I came across a tip suggesting to cook juicy fruit desserts on a pizza stone to prevent the crust from getting soggy due to excess fruit juices. It is now my favorite baking tip ever, so I am passing it on to you. The crust turned out absolutely perfect.
The subtle and delicious almond flavor is thanks to almond paste. Thank you, almond paste, for making life so much easier and more delicious. Also, these little leaf cutouts are a Thanksgiving essential, if you ask me.
Slices with less crust are just plain cruel, so I added extra in the center for those souls.
This plum almond tart may make you question your Thanksgiving dessert choice. Or, let’s be honest, it will at least force yet another slice of something onto your plate. You’re welcome.
- 1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 4 tablespoons ice-cold water
- 1¼ lb of plums, pitted and cut into wedges
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Two teaspoons. unbleached all-purpose flour
- Pinch of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 3.5 ounces almond paste
- One tablespoon water
- One tablespoon vanilla sugar for sprinkling
- One tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- To make the pastry dough, combine the flour, sea salt, and sugar in a food processor and process to mix.
- Scatter ⅔ cup of butter pieces over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. With the processor running, add four tablespoons of the water and process just until moist clumps form.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before using.
- In a bowl, toss together the plums, granulated sugar, flour, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let the plums stand while you roll out the dough.
- Preheat an oven to 400° degrees with a pizza stone in it. Butter the tart pan.
- On a large, lightly floured surface (I swear by my marble rolling stone), roll out the dough until it is approximately ¼" thick. Place the dough onto the tart pan and gently press into it. Pull the overhang dough away. The dough on the tart pan should come up and just over the sides. Press this part down.
- Re-roll out the remaining dough and use the leaf cutters to create decorative pieces.
- Scatter the almond paste pieces evenly over the dough in the tart pan.
- Place the plums evenly over the almond paste, either haphazardly for a rustic look or more organized for an elegant appearance.
- Brush the dough border lightly with the one tablespoon water and assemble the dough leaves along the border of the tart pan, pressing down very gently to get the dough to stick. Place any extra dough leaves in the center. Then sprinkle the leaves with the vanilla sugar.
- Dot the plums with the one tablespoon remaining butter.
- Cover the dough leaves (but not the plums) with tin foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to brown the leaves.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Remove from the tart pan (I used a tart pan with a removable bottom, which ensures beautiful desserts remain beautiful when removed from the pan). Serve with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream. Enjoy!
- Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the croustade cool slightly.
- Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C).
