Fresh Plum Tart
I’m putting this out there as the very best stone fruit dessert of all time. It might have taken the whole category of all fruit save for the fact that I am thoroughly obsessed with key lime pie and also fresh summer strawberries with cold cream and sugar (nostalgia!). But why should we choose…
The sweetness of peach cobbler with a sophisticatedly balanced and buttery crust that crisps in the oven and gets soaked through with all the sugary plum/peach/apricot juices so that little patches are wonderfully sticky and glazed. The filling is where heaven happens as the fruit caramelizes and softens, sweet juices combining with butter, sugar and flour so the flavor is the pure essence of the fruit. It is my end of summer/early September obsession and has been since I first discovered the base recipe from @food52 @amandahesser years ago. I saved the best part for last: there’s basically no skill involved. A press in crust, slice up some fruit, scatter your streusel mix and bake. 13/10.
I would say the only thing to flag is that a tart pan with removable base is what helps deliver a polished, gorgeous result. But if you don’t care about having perfect slices, you can make this in any baking dish!
Recipe adapted from Amanda Hesser’s Food52 Peach Tart.
Watch this recipe come to life!
Fresh Plum Tart
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
4-6 stone fruit of your choosing, I love plums for their sweet tangy flavor! or you can use a mix of fruit. I’ve even thrown fresh figs in to great effect; pitted and sliced into 1/2” slices
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour, plus more if fruit is especially juicy
1/2 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425F.
For the crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Measure your oil into a measuring cup, then add the milk and vanilla extract and use a fork to whisk wet ingredients together until opaque and emulsified. Pour wet into dry and use the fork to gather the mix together until wet crumbs and clusters form. No need to overwork. Turn this mix out into your tart pan and use your fingers to press the clumps together into a flat even layer along the base and walls of the tart form, pinching off any excess that comes over the top and using it to fill in the base as needed. Put the form into the refrigerator while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
For the filling, in the same bowl where you made your crust, add the sugar, butter, flour and salt. Use your fingers to quickly pinch everything together until a crumbly wet sand forms. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator and arrange your sliced fruit as you like. Scatter the streusel topping overtop, taking care to fill in any gaps and spread evenly. Place on a baking tray and into the oven for 35-45 minutes. If the crust is getting deeply golden brown but the inside has not fully melted and set yet, drop temperature to 400 and cook another 5 minutes. You will know the tart is ready when thick, glossy bubbles are popping along the surface of the filling and the crust is richly golden — the aroma should be heavenly! Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and you can use a spatula to slide it off the base onto your serving plate. Slice, serve and enjoy!
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