Plum Shortbread Tart

Serves: 9-inch round tart or cake pan
Baking Temp (degrees F): 350
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Comments: 0

Adapted by Sarah Phillips from Pastry Chef Matthew Rosenzweig from www.theflakytart.com; Food Styling and Photos by www.theflakytart.com © 9-8-2016 Sarah Phillips CraftyBaking.com

Ripe deep purple Italian "prune" plums are perfect to use with the sumptuous Plum Shortbread Tart recipe adapted from Pastry Chef Matthew Rosenzweig from www.theflakytart.com and @pastrychefmatthew at @theflakytart Instagram. With the plums low water content, they maintain their shape for baking. Plus, their flavor is slightly tart, almost lemony and fragrant that's totally different from the more very tart taste of standard red and black plums, making them ideal for pairing with sweet or savory recipes. Choose fairly firm to slightly soft fruit. The coloring will be deep-purple with a red blush and will darken to black as they ripen. Even plums with blemishes are perfect to use in this recipe. We call those ones ugly produce; they are still good.
For more ugly produce recipes and information, join us my site, www.UglyProduceIsBeautiful.com and Instagram feed. It's all about preventing food waste through creative recipes, such as this one, and educational tips.
PIES AND TARTS RECIPE HELP

Ugly organic Italian plums from the farmers' market are still good!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

4 to 6 plums to fill tart (depending on size/variety), pitted and sliced

3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position an oven shelf to the middle of the oven. Heat it to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom or a cake pan.

2. In a small pot melt butter over medium heat on the stovetop, until milk solids start to brown and you smell a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and place in a heat-proof medium size mixing bowl to cool.

3. When butter has solidified, beat it with a hand-held mixer on medium speed with the 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until lightened in color and fluffy

4. Sift the cornstarch, flour and baking soda into the butter / sugar mixture.

5. Beat with the hand-held mixer until well mixed and has a dough-like consistency.

6. Place dough into the prepared tart pan, pressing the dough onto the bottom and sides of the pan.

7. Top with plums, and sprinkle with a mixture of 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon.

8. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown and a cake-tester inserted in the center and removed has a few cake crumbs attached but not batter.

9. Let cool on a wire cake rack in its pan. Remove from the tart pan.

SERVE
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve in generous wedges.

STORAGE
Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for a few days. If the temperature is humid, refrigerate instead. Freeze cake for a month or more.