Plum Tart with Walnut Frangipane
This rustic yet elegant Plum Tart pairs a lovely Italian-style shortcrust pastry with smooth walnut frangipane and jammy baked plums, balancing texture and flavor in every bite.
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:55
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 10
- Category: Fruit
Ingredients
For the Pastry:
- 1-1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
- 1/4 cup (35 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lightly packed orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (see note)
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
For the Filling:
- 1½ cups (170 grams) shelled walnuts
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 to 6 medium plums (about 1-½ pounds), cleaned, halved, and pitted, then sliced into 8 wedges
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Make the Pastry:
- Add the flour, powdered sugar, orange zest, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 7 times, or until it is broken down into tiny pebbles.
- With the motor running, add the egg and let the dough process until it forms into a semi-cohesive dough, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted work surface. Set the food processor aside to use again (no need to clean it, just remove any leftover pieces of pie dough)
- Roll out the dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit the pastry into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, making sure to press the pastry into the sides and the bottom of the pan. Remove any excess dough hanging over the edge by pressing your thumb at an angle into the rim of the tart pan until the extra dough presses off.
- Place the pastry-lined tart pan in the freezer while the oven preheats, at least 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF and place an oven rack in the lower part of the oven.
- Once chilled, line the tart shell with a round piece of parchment paper, then add pie weights (I recommend dry rice or beans or lentils), making sure to push the pie weights to the edges.
- Bake on the lower rack for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and carefully remove the parchment and pie weights. Return to the oven and bake until the pastry is fully cooked through, another 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the Tart Filling:
- In the bowl of the now-empty food processor, combine the walnuts, brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour and salt, and pulse until the walnuts are the consistency of sand. Add in the softened butter, egg, bourbon (if using), and vanilla extract and process until the mixture is smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the walnut cream to the prepared pastry and smooth it over.
- Arrange the sliced plums, skin side down and one slice at a time, in concentric circles on top of the walnut cream, starting from the outer edge and moving inward, or in any pattern.
- Sprinkle the plums with the sugar.
- Bake the tart in the lower part of the preheated oven until the filling has puffed up and set throughout, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let the baked pie cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.
The recipe doesn't call for it, but glazing the fruit on the baked tart is always an option. A fruit glaze preserves the tart just a bit longer, and adds an additional layer of sweetness, and a lovely shine. I usually opt-out of glazing pastries for a more natural look, but check out this tutorial on How to Glaze Fruit if you want to give that a try.
Adding bourbon to the frangipane adds a deeper flavor; however, it is completely optional and may be omitted with no other changes to the recipe.
You don’t need to wash the food processor between making the pastry and the filling; just remove any leftover bits of dough before adding the walnuts.
Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/plum-tart/