Late-season plums are wonderful to bake with; juicy and slightly astringent as you get closer to the skin, they soften into a rich, almost winey sweetness. And, when they’re nestled into soft almond cream and scented with star anise, they make a delicious tart for any time of day. Serve warm with pouring cream as pudding or cold with a cup of tea.
Plum and star anise frangipane tart
Prep 15 min
Chill 1 hr 30 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Serves 8-10
For the pastry
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
90g icing sugar
¼ tsp salt
200g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus an extra 10g, melted, for greasing
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 large egg yolk
20ml ice-cold water
For the plums
4-5 medium plums (about 100g each), halved, stoned and sliced into 1cm-wide wedges
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 whole star anise (about 3g), finely ground in a mortar to get 1½ tsp
For the filling
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
¼ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp almond extract, or vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room temperature
40g plain flour
125g ground almonds
Icing sugar, to finish
To make the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine and aerate. Add the butter and lemon zest, then process to the consistency of fresh breadcrumbs.
Lightly whisk the egg yolk and water, then add to the flour mix and pulse until it begins to come together. Tip out the dough (it will be quite soft and slightly sticky) on to a lightly floured worktop and pat gently to bring it together. Divide the pastry in two with one piece slightly larger than the other, then wrap each loosely in clingfilm. Press gently to form discs and put the larger piece in the fridge for at least an hour (and up to three days); freeze the other piece of pastry for another use.
To make the tart, grease a 23cm x 2½cm tart tin with a removable base with butter. Unwrap the pastry disc (if it is very firm, soften it slightly by tapping all over with a rolling pin), then roll out on a lightly floured worktop to about 4mm thick. Line the tart tin with the pastry, then trim the overhang and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Line the chilled pastry case with a sheet of baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 20 minutes, then lift out the beans and paper. Return the tart to the oven, turn down the temperature to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5 and bake for another seven or eight minutes, until light golden brown. Remove, and leave the oven on.
Meanwhile, mix the plums, sugar and a half-teaspoon of the ground star anise in a small bowl.
For the almond cream, put the butter, sugar, orange zest, remaining teaspoon of ground star anise and the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high until light and creamy. Add the almond extract, then the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn down the speed to low, add the flour and ground almonds, and mix thoroughly. Scrape into the pastry shell, then smooth the top. Arrange the plum wedges in a neat, tight concentric circle on top, then bake for 40-45 minutes, until the filling is set.
Remove, leave to cool a little in the tin, then ease out and on to a serving plate. Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve warm or cold.