Free Recipe

Serves 8 to 10

Pie Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup cold water

Method

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, butter, sugar, and salt. With your fingers, loosely combine them to make a coarse mixture, leaving the butter in distinct pieces. Add the egg yolk and water and mix by hand, just until the dough comes together. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Filling Ingredients

• ½ cup walnuts or other nuts
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar*
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1½ pounds (450-750 g) plums, halved, pitted and cut into ¼ inch (6 mm) slices
• 1/3 stick unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon melted butter for crust
• 1 tablespoon plum brandy or other fruit liqueur
• 2 tablespoons red currant or seedless red raspberry jam
• * If plums are sweet, cut down sugar by half

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200° C) and adjust the oven rack to the middle shelf. In a processor fitted with the metal blade, place the walnuts and ¼ cup sugar. Turn the machine on and off twice and then process about 10 seconds. Add the flour and process for about 10 more seconds to make a fine powder.

Line a 10 x 15 inch (25 cm x 38 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rough rectangle about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. Loosely wrap onto your rolling pin and unwrap onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the nut mixture evenly on the dough leaving a 1 inch (2.5 cm) border.

Neatly arrange the plums, overlapping slightly, on the dough. Fold the rim of the dough up over the outermost fruit; pinch together any tears or gaps. Cut the butter into small pieces and distribute over the fruit. Sprinkle half of the remaining sugar evenly over the fruit and rim. Brush the outside of the crust with melted butter and sprinkle the remaining sugar on the crust.

Bake in the middle shelf of the oven for about 40 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and cool to lukewarm. In a small saucepan on low heat, stir the brandy and the jam together. Heat just long enough until it’s melted. Spoon this evenly over the tart and serve at room temperature.