Plum and vanilla custard tart

Plums and custard are a great combination as they provide a perfect balance of sweet and sharp.


I think this tart looks effortlessly elegant – it’s amazing the difference arranging the plums cut side up makes. It’s the sort of thing you’d see in a patisserie sold in miserly thin slices. So make one yourself and have some proper sized pieces!


Buttery pastry and custard are true comfort foods and just so easy to eat. Why can’t I feel that way about celery?

Mmmmm, buttery pastry:


I am now heading off to Zurich on a work trip so will get around to reading all your blogs a little later than usual this week. This will sustain me for the journey:


Ingredients:
For the shortcrust pastry:
175g plain flour
120g unsalted butter, cold
3 tablespoons icing sugar
2 egg yolks

For the filling:
6 medium plums, halved and stoned
6 tablespoons caster sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
284ml single cream

How to make:

- Start by making the pastry: put the flour, butter and icing sugar into the food processor and blitz until you get fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the egg yolk and blitz until the pastry just starts to come together.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and bring together into a ball of dough, handling no more than is absolutely necessary.
- Here’s where I differ to most pastry recipes; I roll the dough out straight away between two sheets of baking paper and use to line a 24cm loose bottomed flan tin (no need to grease as the pastry is extremely buttery).
- Leave any overhanging pastry.
- Chill the pastry once the tin is lined i.e. not before rolling out. The reason for this is that rolling out chilled pastry is hard work and it cracks. Rolling it when it’s soft gives a much cleaner finish and is easier. Chill the pastry for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
- Line the chilled pastry with a sheet of baking paper and cover with baking beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- While the pastry is baking make the filling: start by preparing the plums then sprinkling 1 tablespoon of caster sugar over them.
- Lightly whisk the eggs and vanilla then whisk in the remaining 5 tablespoons of sugar and finally the cream.
- Remove the cooked pastry and trim off any excess.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/fan oven 140°C/315°F/Gas mark 3.
- Arrange the plum halves cut side up in the pastry case.
- Carefully pour in the cream mixture, taking care not to dislodge any of the plums.
- Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the custard is set. Mine actually took quite a bit more at almost an hour.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin, on a wire rack.
- Serve with thick cream.
- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.
- Eat.