Plums in frangipane

Aren't little tarts so pretty? And also, when I make individual tarts like these, everyone gets their own. I had some plums that I needed to use and inspired by tarts I have seen on other blogs, I decided to try and make them extra pretty. Frangipane seemed the perfect partner, flavoured with some rum.

Simple sweetcrust pastry, rolled very thin is lining the tart cases. This needs to chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare your frangipan. Ground almonds, sugar, eggs and butter mixed together to quite a solid paste. I added a handfull of ground wallnuts too and a splash of rum. Once the cases are chilled, fill them with your frangipan. Layer the sliced plums, then bake in preheated oven. I have preheated a baking sheet, placed the tarts on it to make sure the bases cook through.

To make these, just follow the recipe below. Instead of plums you can also use pears, blackberries or anything that goes with almonds. If you want to make it super simple, use shop bought pastry, just don't tell anyone...

For the pastry:

75g unsalted butter

75g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

150g plain flour

little milk

Cut the butter into small dice and put it into food mixer.Add the sugar  and beat for 5 minutes to give smooth thick cream. On a low speed, add the egg yolk and then the flour. Add few tablespoons of milk. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead softly for few minutes. Roll it out as thin as you can, then cut out small discs, big enough to line your tins. You can also line one large tart case. Gently press into shape and trim any overhanging edges. Prick the base with a fork few times, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, otherwise your cases will shrink.

While the pastry is resting, prepare the filling.

For the Frangipane:

125g ground almonds

125g unsalted butter at room temperature

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp plain flour

1 tsp of rum or rum essence

6 plums

Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until creamy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Then add the almonds (and walnuts if using) and flour and fold in gently until all incorporated. Add the spoon of rum and mix in well.  Evenly fill your rested tart cases with the frangipane. Cut you plums into thin slices, or quarters if preferred. Press them lightly into the mixture. Bake in a preheated oven on 180C for 35-40 minutes. The tarts should be golden and if you insert a skewer, it should come out clean.  I place a baking sheet in the oven while I am preheating it. Place the tarts directly on the sheet. That way, the base will be cooked through.  Dust lightly with icing sugar.