Plum Cardamon Tart
Is there anything better than biting into a ripe, juicy plum in the middle of the summer? Well, how about taking a bite into a plum cardamom tart? We’ve kicked things up a notch with this rustic gluten-free dessert made with our Pastry Flour Mix that’s sure to satisfy all your summer sweet tooth cravings.
This tart was inspired by a classic Italian Crostata, but made with fresh fruit instead of traditional jam. We will be using Pasta Frolla, an Italian sweet pastry dough, which is very similar in taste and texture to a shortbread cookie.
Have you ever made a fruit tart with a soggy bottom? They are very frustrating, aren’t they?
I took the time to consider all the possible causes for that unwanted sogginess, and came up with these simple and easy guidelines for a perfectly, golden baked pie crust that won’t bottom-out:
1 - Pick fruit that is ripe but firm to the touch. If the fruit is too ripe it won't hold its shape while baking. And a good rule of thumb of course is to stay away from fruits that have a high water content, like strawberries!
2 - Coat your tart dough with egg whites, brushing gently on the formed tart dough before adding any toppings. The egg whites will coagulate while baking and prevent any liquids from seeping through.
3 - Rather than coating all the fruit in a bowl with corn starch, I made a simple dry mix to sprinkle at the bottom of the tart dough. It’s just enough to bind with any extra liquid formed from the fruit cooking.
Recipe:
Italian Sweet Pastry Dough - Pasta Frolla
1 +1/3 C = 200 gr Krumville Pastry Flour Mix (make sure you sift and mix the flour mix well before scaling)
3 Tbsp = 35 gr Sugar
1/2 Tsp = 2 gr sea salt
1/2 C = 113 gr unsalted cold butter (I used Plugra)
1 = 50 gr Egg (LG)
1 = 20 gr Egg Yolk ( save the egg white)
1 whole lemon zest
Directions:
In a food processor (at least a 4qt size) add: flour, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Pulse to mix all the dry ingredients. Then add cold cubed butter (1/2 cubes), and pulse until the dough resemble coarse sand. Add the egg and the extra yolk and pulse until dough is formed. Remove the all the dough and form a ball, and then place it in covered bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Filling:
1 lb Red and Black Plums (about 6)
1 Tbsp Sugar (plus more for sprinkling on top the plums)
1 Tsp Corn Starch
1/8 tsp Ground Cardamon
1 Egg White
Directions:
Cut and slice each plum in 8 wedges, remove the pit and place them aside in a bowl until ready to assemble the tart.
In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, corn starch and cardamon.
Assembling the tart:
Use an 8'' tart form ( get one that has a removable bottom sheet so that the tart won't break when taking it out the shell). Next, spray the tart pan. Take the pastry dough and flatten about 6'' wide. Place it in the middle of the shell and, working outward with your finger, spread the dough up to the edges. You’ll want a thin crust (about 1/4 '') after you even out the thickness around the edges. Cut all the excess dough off. After this is done you should be left with about 1/4 cup of dough.
After the dough is evenly spread, brush some egg whites onto the surface. Now it’s time to sprinkle the cornstarch/sugar mixture and cardamon as evenly as you can. These extra steps will prevent the crust from becoming soggy and help to absorb all of the fruit juices.
Place all the fruit, skin facing down, in the tart in radiant shape. Finish by sprinkling some extra sugar.
Then place in a preheated oven at 350, and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the edges of the crust have become golden brown and the fruit is soft.
Let the tart completely cool on a rack before slicing and serving.
Buon appetito!
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