“Many of you will have had this divine dish at the restaurant or from my farmers’ market stall. It’s relatively simple to make, and always serve it warm as it really comes alive. The jury is out about blind baking the pastry first. I like to, although it isn’t essential. But be careful you don’t get a soggy bottom — blind baking stops that from happening. Serve with your favourite cream, ice cream or crème fraîche.”
Serves 10
Prep time: 50 minutes; cooking time 1hour 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
10-inch sweet pastry tart case, chilled and rested
Around 12-15 good plums
½ teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon caster sugar
125g caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, softened
125g ground almonds
50g plain flour, sifted
3 whole eggs beaten
A handful of flaked almonds
200ml double cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted
1/3 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
Extra icing sugar for dusting
METHOD
Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
Halve and stone the plums then dust with mixed spice and sugar. Cook on a tray in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. When the plums are cold, set to one side. Leave a few aside for serving.
Reduce oven to 150/160°C.
Make the frangipane by creaming the butter and caster sugar until it’s nice and smooth. Then add the ground almonds and beaten eggs, mixing carefully. Then add the flour and combine. Spread one third in the prepared tart case and smooth over with a wet palette knife. Next, add half the plums reserved for the tart and spread them out. Top with another third of frangipane and smooth down. Then add the rest of the plums reserved for the tart and finish with the remaining frangipane. Smooth over well with a wet palette knife and top with the flaked almonds.
Place on a metal tray and bake for 1 to 1.5 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. It will be easier to remove from the tart case when it’s just warm. It’s tricky to cut when it’s hot.
To make the crème Chantilly, whip the double cream to almost firm peak stage then add the sifted icing sugar to taste – roughly 1 tablespoon. Add the vanilla seeds and stir.
To serve, cut slices from the tart and plate with a dollop of cream and any extra plums. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.