Brandy Plum Tart Recipes

PLUM TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.
• Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down, to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.
• Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BRANDIED PLUMS

Steps:

• Boil a stockpot of water as deep as the shoulder of a 2-quart jar with hinged lid.
• Wash and stem plums. Prick several holes around stem ends. Pack plums in jar. Quarter and pit plums that don't fit in jar and re-pack, placing quartered pieces in gaps that form between whole plums. Add cinnamon stick.
• In a 2-quart saucepan or skillet, bring sugar, salt and 1 cup water to a boil, then turn to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for 10 minutes, stir in brandy. Immediately pour the liquid into jar up to 1/2-inch from the rim.
• Partly close jar, to leave gap for steam to escape, and place in pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Carefully remove jar with jar lifter or 2 tongs and close the lid tightly. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

ORIGINAL PLUM TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
• Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
• Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

UPSIDE-DOWN PLUM TARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degree. Cut out four 4-inch circles frompuff pastry, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.Freeze for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat butter and sugar in a 12-inch saute panover medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts. Addplums and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until plums beginto soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and addbrandy. Return to heat, and swirl pan until alcohol cooks off,about 1 minute.
• Divide plums, cut sides down, and pan juices among four10-ounce ramekins. Top each with a puff pastry circle, andbake until edges are bubbling and tops are golden, about40 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully turn out intoshallow bowls, and serve each with a dollop of sour cream.

PLUM TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 9 1/2-by-13 1/2-inch rimmed baking sheet (quarter sheet pan) with parchment, leaving a 2-inch over-hang on long sides.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an approximately 14 1/2-by-11 1/2-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Trim edges so you're left with a 14-by-11-inch rectangle. Fit into sheet (dough should come all the way up sides without an overhang). Freeze 15 minutes.
• Stir together fruit, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt; arrange mixture in tart shell, in a single, slightly overlapping layer (if using a variety of colors of fruit, arrange by color if desired).
• Bake 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375° and continue baking, rotating sheet twice, until fruit is bubbling and pastry is puffed and cooked through, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes (if pastry is browning too quickly, tent with foil; if middle puffs up during baking, remove sheet from oven, use scissors to snip a little hole in puffed-up spot, and return to oven).
• Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack. Use parchment overhangs to remove before cutting into pieces to serve. Tart can be stored at room temperature, covered loosely with foil, up to 1 day.

SPICED PLUM TART WITH BRANDY WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, anise seed (if using), cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add plums; gently toss to coat. Let stand 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Unroll pie crust onto lightly floured surface. Roll dough lightly into a 12" circle; fit into a 9" tart pan with removable bottom that has been lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Press dough against sides of pan, trimming off excess dough.
• Arrange plums cut-side down in single layer, overlapping slightly to cover crust. Drizzle any juices remaining in plum bowl over top. Place tart pan on jellyroll pan.
• Bake in 375 degree oven until bubbly and crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
• While tart is cooling, prepare brandy whipped cream: In large chilled mixer bowl beat whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon brandy at high speed until soft peaks form. Don't overbeat.
• Remove ring from tart pan and cut tart into wedges. Serve with dollops of brandy whipped cream.

FRESH PLUM FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out crust dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Gently press dough into tart pan; trim excess. Freeze crust 15 minutes.
• Place tart pan on baking sheet. Bake crust 10 minutes; pierce with toothpick if crust bubbles. Continue to bake until crust is pale golden, about 12 minutes. Cool crust on baking sheet 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• For filling:
• Blend all ingredients except plums in processor until almonds are finely ground. Spread frangipane filling in prepared crust.
• Place plum halves, skin side up, on work surface. Cut 1 plum half into thin parallel slices, keeping plum intact (do not cut through end). Press gently to fan slices. Repeat with remaining plum halves. Place fanned plums, skin side up, atop frangipane; press gently to anchor.
• Bake tart on baking sheet until frangipane is puffed and golden and plums are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove tart from baking sheet; transfer to rack.
• For glaze:
• Stir apricot jam and brandy in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils. Strain glaze into small bowl. Brush glaze generously over plums. Cool tart completely. (Tart can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Push pan bottom up to free tart from pan. Cut tart into wedges and serve.

PLUM BRANDY

Steps:

• Make sure the plum halves are clean and dry, then put them in a large sterilised glass jar. Add the sugar, brandy, cinnamon stick and star anise. Seal and gently rotate the jar to help dissolve the sugar.
• Continue to gently shake or rotate the jar (trying not to bash the fruit too much) every day for a week.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, leave it in a cool dark cupboard for another 2 weeks to infuse.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve lined with muslin, kitchen paper or coffee filter paper. Discard the plums, any fruit pulp and the spices, and pour the strained brandy into a bottle. Will keep for two months.

MAMIE'S WILD PLUM TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch tart pan with butter.
• Roll out the pie dough and press crust into the prepared pan.
• Arrange plums snugly, cut-sides down, on the crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar, or up to 1/2 cup depending on the sweetness of the plums.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops of the plums are slightly browned and the juices are bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let rest until the juices have set, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar, cut, and serve.

PLUM CAKEY TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray an 7x11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Whisk together the whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cream together the butter and 3/4 cup of sugar in a large bowl; mix in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing gently between each addition until the batter is just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and arrange the sliced plums over the batter. Sprinkle the fruit with 1 tablespoon sugar, and dust with cinnamon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.

ITALIAN PLUM TART (TARTE AUX QUETSCHES)

Steps:

• To make the crust, pulse the flour, sugar, salt, and butter or margarine together in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade until crumbled. Then add the egg yolk, and pulse until the dough comes together.
• Put the dough in the center of an ungreased 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Dust your fingers with flour, and gently press out the dough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 375 degrees, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, and let cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Mix the jam with the brandy in a small bowl, and spread over the bottom of the crust. Pit the plums, and cut them into four pieces each. Starting at the outside, arrange the plums in a circle so that all the pieces overlap, creating concentric circles that wind into the center of the pan. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and lemon zest.
• Return the tart to the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the plums are juicy. Remove the tart from the oven, sprinkle on the sugar, and serve warm or at room temperature.

EASY FREE-FORM PLUM TART

Steps:

• First, make the Sugar Dough: In a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade, combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter and process until the texture resembles fine meal.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1 Tbs. of the cream. Scrape into the processor and process until a ball begins to form, drizzling in the additional Tbs. of cream, if necessary, to help the dough come together.
• Remove the dough from the machine and, on a lightly floured surface, press down into a circle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Before assembling the tart, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove the Sugar Dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a rough circle 14 inches in diameter. Lift up the dough and transfer it to a nonstick baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator while you prepare the plums.
• In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the plums and sauté just until they begin to soften slightly, about 3 minutes. Gently stir in the sugar and lemon juice.
• Remove from the heat and, if you like, drizzle in the plum brandy. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Spoon the cooled plums into the center of the dough, spreading them evenly and leaving a 2-inch border all around the edge. Fold the edge up over the plums, leaving the fruit in the center of the tart exposed.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg. Brush the exposed rim of dough with the egg. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.