Plum Tart

adapted from Zuni Cookbook

by Anne Halsted

serves 6 – 8

1 cup unbleached flour

½ cup (1 stick) salted butter

8 plums

¼ cup sugar

A little plum or apple jelly or honey

For crust: Put flour in a large open mixing bowl.  Cut butter into ¼ inch slices, and slide into flour with your hands.  Using the tips of your fingers press flour into butter and vice versa until it becomes chips, and then press together until holds together as a ball.  Knead briefly to be sure it holds together in a ball.  Put the ball of dough between two pieces of floured plastic wrap and flatten the dough into a disk. (If it breaks apart on the edges, it may need more kneading.)

Then refrigerate the dough disk for ½ hour.  Remove from freezer, and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough still between the plastic wrap.

Pick up the dough with the rolling pin and put it into a 9 inch (or slightly larger or several smaller) tart pan, pressing the edges into the sides of the pan. It is ok if it is not perfect, as long as you push the dough together to cover the tart pan completely.

Then freeze the crust until you are ready to make the tart.  (I usually put it in a large freezer bag).

For the filling: Cut plums into quarters, and put them in a bowl.  Add sugar, and mix to coat plums.

To assemble and cook: Remove tart crust from freezer.  Arrange plums skin side down in concentric circles.

Bake at 375° F for about an hour, or until crust begins to brown and plums begin to caramelize.  Add a little jam or honey after 45 minutes of cooking if the plums are not producing any juice.

An extremely easy and delicious fruit tart!