A wonderful late summer tart when pistachios and plums are abundant, well if on a Greek island that is but pistachios do not need to be of the same season’s harvest as most nuts we eat are generally not. I always advise to check the quality and age of nuts when buying if at all possible because the very same oils that are beneficial in many nuts also taste quite unpleasant if the nuts are old and the oil has oxidized. Walnuts in particular could taste quite rancid.
For the pastry
- 125g unsalted butter, cold
- 75g caster sugar
- 250g plain flour
- 25g ground almonds
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- A small pinch of salt
For the pistachio frangipane
- 150g unsalted butter, soft
- 150g caster sugar
- 150g pistachio nuts
- 100g ground almonds
- 25g plain flour
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 lemon, zest only
Also,
- 3-4 tbsp plum jam
- 10 plums, stoned and cut in half
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
Method
Start by making the pastry. In a bowl, sift the flour and salt. Add the sugar and ground almonds and then the butter cut in small pieces. Work the ingredients with your hands to a breadcrumb consistency. Add the egg, and mix to form a soft dough. Do not overwork the dough. Make into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in some plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a clean surface and line a 25cm tart tin. Don’t worry if you need to do this in pieces as the dough is very fragile. Trim any excess pastry and put the tin back in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Cover the pastry with baking parchment and weigh down with baking beans or real beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and the weight and continue baking for another 6-7 minutes. Leave to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180C.
To make the frangipane mix, whisk in a bowl the butter and sugar until pale in colour and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat until all are incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and the lemon zest and mix gently with a rubber spatula.
Spread the base of the tart with the jam and spoon the frangipane mixture over it. Use a palette knife to smooth out. Slice each plum half in fine stripes but not totally so as to keep the shape. Push them gently into the frangipane mix skin side up. Sprinkle the plum halves with the sugar and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden and set.
When cool, dust with icing sugar if you wish and serve with some thick Greek yogurt.
