Plum Almond Pastry Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking paper. Put the butter, sugar and ground almonds into a food processor, then pulse until the mixture resembles very rough breadcrumbs. Spoon out half the mix into a bowl and set aside.
• Add 140g flour into the mix in the processor and whizz until it just forms a dough. Tip into the tin and press down with the back of a spoon. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden. Leave to cool for 10 mins.
• To make the filling, put the remaining butter and the sugar and almond mix back into the processor, saving a few tbsp for the topping. Add the eggs, the 25g flour, cinnamon and baking powder and whizz to a soft batter. Spread over the base.
• Top with the plum pieces and a little extra caster sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 20 mins, then sprinkle with the remaining crumble mix and flaked almonds. Cook for another 20 mins or until golden. Leave to cool in the tin before slicing.

Steps:

• For the filling: Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil. While water is boiling, take a paring knife and cut a 1/2-inch X on the bottom of each plum. Set aside. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set aside. When water is boiling, gently drop plums into water for 30 to 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately submerge in ice water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and dry plums gently with a paper towel. Over a medium-sized bowl, remove skins from plums - they should slip off fairly easily. Slice plums in half and remove pits. Toss with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice and set aside.
• For the crust: Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
• Grind the almonds in a food processor until they are a fine crumb. Add the pastry flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar to the almond in the processor and pulse 5 times to incorporate. Add butter and oil and pulse for about 20 seconds, until mixture forms small clumps. Add the egg white and pulse an additional 20 to 30 times, until mixture forms a ball, being sure not to over-process. Dough will hold together, but be slightly sticky. Evenly press dough into the bottom and sides a 9-inch tart pan with a detachable bottom. Bake for 8 to10 minutes, or until surface of tart is no longer shiny. Remove from oven and let cool. Place tart shell on a cookie sheet. Toss plum halves in their own juices in bowl. Arrange plums, cut-side down, in the tart shell, crowding as many plums as you can into tart. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fruit is slightly tender but still firm. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• For the glaze: Heat preserves over a low flame or in microwave until melted. Combine with water and brush surface of tart.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the plums, cinnamon, lemon zest and brandy, if using, together in a bowl, then leave to macerate while you make the batter.
• Cream the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, then tip in the flour and ground almonds. Mix until completely combined.
• Tip the fruit into a buttered shallow baking dish, spoon over the cake batter, then sprinkle over the flaked almonds. Bake for 35-40 mins until browned and cooked through. Test if the pudding is ready by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean, the pudding is ready; if there is some batter on the skewer, then give it a few mins more. Remove from the oven and serve warm with clotted cream.

Steps:

• Make the crust: Combine butter or oil, confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla bean seeds in a stand mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute more. Scrape down sides of bowl, add the egg and then the flour, and continue mixing until smooth. Remove dough from the bowl, wrap in plastic and refrigerate, about 1 hour, or until firm.
• Make the almond filling: Grind together the blanched almonds and flour in a food processor until they form a textured almond flour.
• Combine butter or oil, confectioners' sugar and salt in a stand mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat for 1 minute more. Scrape down sides of bowl, add egg and egg yolk, and continue mixing until mixture comes together and is homogeneous, about 2 minutes. Add almond mixture all at once, and mix until batter just comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and set aside for 10 minutes. Knead dough to loosen it, then pat together into a ball again. On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12- to 13-inch round using a floured rolling pin. Quickly transfer dough to an 11-inch pie plate or tart shell, trimming the edges as needed. Place the lined shell in the freezer until frozen.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove shell from the freezer, line with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake crust for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to color. Remove the weights and bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely.
• While the crust cools, cut plums into 1/4-inch wedges.
• Using an offset spatula, spread cooled tart shell with the almond cream. Starting at the outside of the pan, arrange plums in a circle on top so all the pieces overlap. Turn plums the opposite way for the second circle. Fill the center with the remaining plums or another fruit if you wish.
• Sprinkle a few pinches of turbinado sugar over plums and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until almond cream is puffed and golden brown and the plums are softened.