Just Baking

Prune plums are still in season here in Michigan, but only for one more week. Now when it comes to plums, I am a very picky person. That said, the only plums that were worth eating and staining my white marine dress with were when I was six or seven at my mother’s aunt. She had in her backyard, along with chickens, rabbits and a dog, a plum tree that spoiled us every year with black, juicy sweet plums. Plums so ripe they literally collapse between your hands if you are not gentle enough. The one I find in Michigan are a different variety. They have a purple skin, an oblong shape, and a yellow flesh and are not that sweet or juicy than the one I am used to. Though you can use them to make plums butter, plums sherbet, plums jams or plums cake, I decided to turn mine into a sweet late summer tart. I went with unsweetened desiccated coconut and almonds to enhance the flavor of the plums but without overpowering them. The result: A nice crumbly texture. The tart is moist and juicy with slices of tender plums at each bite.

Coconut Almonds and Plum tart

Recipe:
-  For the pastry crust:
- 7 ounces of flour
- 3 ½ ounces butter, at room temperature
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 3 tbsp ice water - 8 plums, pitted and sliced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- For the filling:
- 2 ounces ground almonds, with the skin on
- 2 ½ ounces unsweetened desiccated coconuts
- 3 ½ ounces sugar
- 2 ounces butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs

Put the sliced plums, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and orange blossom water in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients together and let it marinate for an hour in the fridge.
Meanwhile, make the pastry crust. Mix the flour, the butter and the sugar together. Rub them between your hands until it becomes sand like. Add the egg yolks, the orange blossom water and the water and mix until it all comes together. Do not overmix the dough. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill for ½ an hour. Make the cream. Mix the almonds with the coconut and the sugar until combined. Add the butter, the eggs beaten and the juice of the plums marinade. Whisk all together until it looks like a smooth cream.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface and line your greased tart mold with the crust. Chill for another 10 min. Line your crust with foil, filled with dried beans. Prebake your tart crust at 400 ℉ for 15 min, then remove the foil, reduce the heat to 350 ℉ and continue baking the crust for another 5 min to dry it out.
Fill the crust with the cream and top it with the plums. Bake it until it is golden brown; about 20- 25 min. Let the tart cool on a wire rack.

In francais please:
- Pour la pate:
- 200g de farine
- 100g de beurre ramolli
- 1 jaune d’oeuf
- 1 c.s d’eau de fleur d’oanger
-3 c.s d’eau glacé 

- 8 prunes, coupees en lamelles
- 1 c.s de sucre
- 1 c.c de canelle
- ½ c.c de cardamome
- 1 c.s d’eau de fleur d’oranger
- Pour la crème aux amandes et noix de coco:
- 50g de poudre d’amande, avec leur peau
- 65g de noix de coco
- 100g de sucre
- 60g de beurre ramolli
- 2 oeufs

Mettre les prunes, le sucre, la cannelle, la cardamome et l’eau de fleir d’oranger dans une jatte. Melanger le tout et reserver au frais pendant une heure. Entre temps faire la pate. Melanger la farine avec le sucre et le beurre. Frotter entre vos main jusqu’a ce que le mélange resemble a du sable. Ajouter le jaune d’oeuf, l’eau et l’eau de fleur doranger. Melanger mais sans en abuser. Mettre en boule, couvrir de film plastique et laisser reposer pendant ½ heure au frais. Preparer votre crème aux amandes. Melanger les amandes, noix de coco, le sucre. Ajouter le beurre ramolli, les oeufs battu et le jus rendu par les cerises. Abaisser votre pate. Garnir votre moule a tarte de la pate. Remettre au frais pendat 10 min. Garnir votre moule d’aluminium remplie d’haricots secs et faites cuire la pate a blanc dans un four prechauffe a 200 ℃ pendant 15 min. Puis reduire la temperature de votre four a 180 ℃, enlever les feuilles d’aluminium et continuer a cuire pendant 5 min pour assecher la pate. Garnir votr moule de la crème aux amandes puis avec les prunes. Faites cuire jusqu’a ce que la tarte deviennent dorees, environ 20-25 min. Laisser refroidir sur une plaque a patisserie