![]() So why this week? Like most things in my life right now, it relates to a still (yes, still) unfinished but imminently due manuscript, and my inability to think about much else, which has turned into a perfect time to outsource a bit, by dusting off recipes I’ve had on my To Cook list for eons - especially those that involve plums. I was living in Washington D.C., dating a terrible idea and trying to figure out how I could find a place in New York that didn’t charge more than $600/month rent. This recipe was actually published in a 1999 Martha Stewart Living. But the filling gave me pause - a custard? a custard that suspends fruit? How odd, right? Or delicious? I went back and forth over the odd-versus-delicious line for the better part of a decade before deciding to finally make it this week. And guys, I love a buttery, flaky, ethereal pie crust woven over cherries and bronzed in the oven as much as the next person, but the idea of choosing it over a crumbly composite of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and sometimes nuts is pure madness. The plum halves go into the batter skin side up, not down.There are few paths that led to this recipe but the main one is that it instantly reminded me of the kind of crumb pies I remember from bakeries growing up, not the kind with a crumble topping but ones with a crust also composed of pressed crumbs. #Barefoot contessa italian plum tart skin That way the juices and flavors come together while it bakes. I haven't read all the reviews, so I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this. The way to make this a really exceptional dessert is to let it sit overnight so that the plum juices mingle with the cake and make it incredibly moist. I learned this trick at the Smitten Kitchen blog. ![]() This is so quick and simple to put together and a lovely treat for afternoon tea or perhaps after a heavy autumn dinner. I did add vanilla extract (I bet almond extract would be good too) to the batter. I didn't grease the pan, but I will do so next time.Īlso, my Italian plums were pretty big so I used 6 plums and quartered them. This recipe can stand a few adaptations depending on your preference and the kinds of fruit you have on hand. Just remember that the batter is quite thick and you have to spread it before you place the fruit. Also, I recommend using a 9-inch pan as the 10-inch would be too big. I add the grated peel of a lemon, a teaspoon of cardamon and often top with frozen blueberries, when I can't get plums. I needed a cake I could prepare really quickly, and this certainly fit the bill: 20 minutes from start to finish, including slicing all the fruit, and I doubled both the batter and fruit. It *did* take well over two hours to bake, and to be honest, I wasn't expecting much. I made it in a springform pan, and I have to say, doubling the recipe was a good idea-it made for a tall cake with fruit all the way through. Despite the long baking time, it was moist and buttery. Perhaps not the flashiest dessert ever, but a real winner otherwise. ![]() Will be great for breakfast or brunch, as well. WOW! I'm glad I bought so many Italian prune plums at my warehouse-type store, because I will be making another one of these cakes tomorrow!!!! also works just fine in a regular round cake pan lined with parchment. We are lucky enough to have Italian prune plum trees in our Massachusetts orchard. The one modification I make to this recipe is setting the plum halves on their sides instead of flat on the dough. Some left lonely in the fruit bowl I decided to I really do not like plums very much but as I had This allows for MORE plums in the torte than the recipe calls for - and lovely crescent shaped designs that the dough forms around each plum half. My husband and children all devoured it thatĭay.
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