Plum Tart

I had a bunch of new recipes I made during the last few months and I was about to post them when, poof!, all my pictures disappeared. All my food porn is gone! I just have to figure out a way to recover them, so instead I made this dessert tonight. 

I watched the Barefoot Contessa make this a few weekends ago on the Food Network and it looked ridiculously simple. And it is. A couple of notes, though: 

1. Use very ripe (almost over ripened) prune plums. The more ripe they are, the more juice they'll give out making the tart sweet and tart at the same time. 
2. I made mine in a cake pan and my plum tart was a little over-cooked, so for sure I recommend a tart pan. I think I need to invest in a good tart pan for myself.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), diced
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 pounds firm, ripe Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise

DIRECTIONS

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.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Tart

Okay, I am in a cast iron skillet kick this week. I can't believe I lived so long without one. I'm so grateful to my mom that bought me three different sizes of the cast iron skillets. For this particular recipe, a 10-inch cast iron skillet will work well. If raspberries are not your favorite, you can substitute strawberries instead. The best part about this tart is the crust. It's really yummy.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces 3/4 pound fresh rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 12 ounces fresh raspberries
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400° F.

In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough comes together but is still slightly crumbly (you should use 3 to 4 tablespoons total). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, raspberries, and 1 cup of the remaining sugar; set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch circle. Place it in a large cast-iron skillet, allowing the dough to hang over the edge. Top with the rhubarb mixture. Fold the edge of the dough over the fruit (to create pleats). Lightly brush the top of the dough with milk and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake until golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve with the whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe courtesy of RealSimple.com