Plum Tart with a Cornmeal Crust
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings20
minutes45
minutesI had forgotten about this recipe. I used to make it quite a bit pre-children. I have dear friends who have the most amazing farm with the most amazing fruit trees. They have a couple Santa Rosa prune trees. The prune are similar to plum that you would buy at the market EXCEPT these prunes are delicate and juicy and the flavor is outstanding. The texture is amazing not mealy like the plums one buy’s at the market. When I make this I usually do a mix of a few plums and more peaches or nectarines. If you have access to the delicate prunes then use them but they are so small you will need to could the amount of the fruit and play with the ingredients. This tart is spectacular either way but truly sublime if you have access to the Santa Rosa prunes. *****THE DOUGH CAN BE MADE 1 DAY EARLY OR FROZEN UP TO A MONTH.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 cup medium ground cornmeal or polenta
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
12 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1 lg egg
1 lg yolk
1/4 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon dry white wine or water, if needed
- Filling
12 ripe plums or/and peaches, stoned, cut into 8ths (if using the Santa Rosa prunes-quarter them)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons brandy
2/3 cup dried currants but can use dried berries, cherries or cranberries
Directions
- In a food processor, add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse on and off until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the whole egg, egg yolk and cinnamon and pulse again, scraping the sides down, until dough comes together, but still crumbly. Add a little of the wine only if dough seems dry. Do not overprocess, as crust will be tough. Turn out onto a floured surface and work the dough into a ball and then flatten into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap for 1 hour or overnight. Can be frozen up to a month.
- For the filling, in a large saucepan, combine fruit, cinnamon, sugar, brandy, and currants. Stir together over low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until fruit is very soft. Set wise to cool a bit.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator, allow to warm up about 15 minutes. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Get out a 12 tart pan and set it on the prepared pan.
- Roll the dough out to 14 inches on a floured surface. Gently place the dough in the tart pan and press the dough to adhere to the bottom and sides. Once the pan is set with the dough, pour the filling into the pan. Place in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes. The filling shout be bubbling and crust golden. Cool for 15 minutes then remove tart from pan and serve slightly warm or allow to cool to room temp. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or lemon sorbet.
