Plum Almond Tart With Plum Compote Recipes

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.

Steps:

• To make the crust, place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Place in a bowl and toss with the flour. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the egg, lemon zest and salt. Add the flour mixture and begin mixing on low speed; then raise the speed just until the flour is incorporated.
• Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a ball. Flatten, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 piece into a 5 1/2-inch circle (the dough breaks easily but can be pressed back together). Use a 5-inch round (cup, plate or cardboard) as a guide to cut the dough into a 5-inch circle. With a wide spatula, transfer to 1 of the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing the circles 2 inches apart. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crusts until lightly golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• To make the filling, place the whole almonds and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a food processor and pulse until ground. Place in a bowl and stir in the 1/2 cup of sugar, eggs and lemon zest. Set aside.
• Halve and pit the plums. Cut each half into 5 or 6 thin wedges. Spread the filling over the crusts, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the plums in a circular pattern over the filling. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a few sliced almonds over each tart. Bake until the plums are lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to make the compote, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean. Place the pod and seeds in a small saucepan with the plums and sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until the compote is thick, about 20 minutes. Keep warm.
• To serve, place a warm tart on each of 8 plates and surround with the warm compote.

Steps:

• Make the tart shells: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, and flour until it just comes together. (There should still be streaks of cream cheese.) Remove the dough from the bowl, pat into a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll out the dough into 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 6 (3-inch circles). Refrigerate on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 15 minutes.
• Make the filling: Dice 2 of the plums and toss together with 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the cinnamon, and creme fraiche.
• Assemble the tarts: Brush the dough lightly with the beaten egg and spoon a generous tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle. Lift up the edges of the tart and pinch 3 points of the tart about halfway to the filling to form the sides of the crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Brush the edges of the crust with egg and sprinkle lightly with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Pinch the dough again to make sure it is tightly sealed and freeze for 10 minutes. Remove the tarts from the freezer and immediately bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Make the compote: Dice the remaining 2 plums and toss with simple syrup, lemon juice, and rosemary. Warm over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the plums are tender.
• Make the Maple Mascarpone Cream: Whip the Mascarpone and heavy cream together until medium stiff peaks form. Add the maple syrup and whisk together until smooth.
• Plate the tarts: Place 1 spoonful of plum compote in the center of each plate. Place a tart in the center of each plate and spoon some of the Maple Mascarpone Cream around the tart.

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.