It's plum cake season!!

I love plum cake! It reminds me of my childhood, even though I didn't eat it then because the skins grossed me out. The German traditional version is a yeast cake, but I couldn't find my yeast, so I made a hazelnut frangipane tart instead, and it is delicious... and quite a bit richer! (That's a scoop of vanilla Coconut Bliss on the side! Yum!)

Turns out that yellow plates make food look dead. My friend Domenic returned his fiestaware for this reason. I can't go that far, because I love the colors in real life... they just don't photograph well! So iphoto had to provide some technicolor enhancement here, to at least make this tart look funky, if not entirely natural! :) Like the pictures in my mom's TimeLife cookbooks from the 70's.

Plum Tart!

Butter a 10 inch tart pan.

make crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or more all purpose, but the whole wheat adds a nice nutty flavor)

1/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup cold water

2 large egg yolks

Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor. Add the butter and mix, about 10 seconds or so. While the machine is on, drizzle in the water and add the yolks. The dough should hold together so you can roll it out. You might have to add more water or more flour to adjust the consistency.

Ideally the dough should rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, so that it can relax and become more elastic. I didn't have time for this so I didn't roll it out but pressed a thin layer into my tart pan, which worked out fine.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Filling:

2 lbs of plums (Italian are nice, or you can mix varieties). Cut in half and remove pits. Set aside.

Optional: spread a thin layer of plum jam or plum butter on the unbaked pie crust.

Frangipane:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

a pinch of salt

1-2 tablespoons amaretto

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup hazelnut flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

In the same food processor bowl you used for the crust, mix the butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs, salt and amaretto. Add your 3 flours and mix to make a smooth paste.

Spread the paste into the tart crust. Arrange the plums, skin side down. The closer together they sit, the juicier the tart will be!!

Sprinkle with some sugar and cinnamon, and maybe a few slivered almonds.