Plum Tart

Black plums are my favourite. They're in season right now and they're just massive in size and ridiculously delicious. We went to a new grocery story the other day that sells mainly local and organic foods and the plums were calling my name. As much as I love them though, I couldn't eat as many as I bought before they went too mushy so I decided to make a plum tart and boy was it incredible.

First of all, as a new baker, my presentation isn't always the best, so I love anything that is not only simple, but is easy to make look impressive. This one hit all the senses: it smelled amazing, it looked incredible and it tasted heavenly.

The decadent part of this tart is the sweet crust and the creamy custard. Sigh. This didn't last long in our house!



Ingredients

• 2 cups thickly sliced plums (pitted, but not peeled)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Pat-in Sweet Pastry:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tsp cornstarch
• 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed

Directions


Pat-In Sweet Pastry: In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and cornstarch. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture clumps together. With floured hands, press evenly into 9-inch (23 cm) round tart pan with removable bottom. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.


Arrange plums, cut side up and slightly overlapping, in circular pattern over pastry. Sprinkle with all but 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the sugar.


Bake tart in centre of 400°F (200°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until plums are softened.

Meanwhile, in bowl, whisk together cream, egg yolks, vanilla and remaining sugar; pour over fruit.


Bake tart for 25 to 30 minutes longer or until set, golden and knife inserted in centre of filling comes out clean. Let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Set aside at room temperature for up to 3 hours.)

Butter Tarts

I eat my food in sections. I have done this my entire life and continues to mind-boggle my parents. If you gave me a plate with three different foods on it, I would eat them one at a time, starting with the vegetables and ending with the meat. In the case of desserts, I always eat butter tarts with a spoon. I first scoop out the filling and eat it, and then I eat the pastry. It's weird. I know. But that's how I roll.

Anyway, I'd had a pining for butter tarts for awhile and I always resist them in the grocery store, but after I made the strawberry-rhubarb and blueberry pies, I had one pie crust left in my freezer -- perfect for a batch of butter tarts. A quick search online told me that I had all the ingredients I needed on hand and away I went.

The most challenging part of these was getting the pastry into the muffin tins. I took timbit-sized balls of dough, rolled it out and then manouvered it into the pans. They weren't pretty, but for a first try they were acceptable. If nothing else, they tasted delcious and way better than those ones you buy in a grocery store. And, for the record, I ate these with a fork and enjoyed the pastry with the filling and it was good!

Ingredients 

• 1 unbaked Flakey Pastry Crust
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
• ¾ cup raisins, walnuts or pecans

Directions


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


2. Roll out pastry and fit carefully into 12 muffin tins.


3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, then beat in brown sugar. Stir in vinegar and vanilla extract. Mix well, then stir in melted butter (make sure it’s cool). Fold in rasins or chopped nuts.


4. Carefully spoon mixture into tart shells.


5. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until set.




Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Download the printable recipe for Butter Tarts