Prune Nut Tart Recipes

PRUNE & NUT TART

Steps:

• If you want to make the pastry by hand, beat the butter until it is smooth then mix in the icing sugar, one of the eggs and then add the flour. Or, put all the pastry ingredients (again 1 egg only) in the food processor with 2 tsp water and process just until they form a dough. Wrap the pastry in cling film and put in the fridge for half an hour or so to firm up. (You can freeze the pastry now for up to a month.)
• You need to bake the pastry case blind before adding the filling. The best and easiest way to roll the pastry is between 2 floured pieces of cling film. Line a loose-bottomed 23cm tart tin with the pastry, then line this with a piece of greaseproof paper. Put your baking beans on the paper then put the pastry case in the freezer.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C.When the pastry case is rock solid (after about 1⁄2-1 hour), put it in the oven on a baking sheet. After 15 minutes, lift out the paper and beans very carefully and glaze the inside with your second egg, beaten first (this makes sure you have no leaks later). Put back in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
• For the filling, melt the butter and leave it to cool a little.While this is happening, beat the eggs, then stir in the sugar and cooled butter. Scatter half the almonds in the base of the tart, then spread the prunes around. Pour the filling over evenly.
• Scatter the rest of the almonds over the top and bake for 20-30 minutes until firm. Take it out, dust over some icing sugar and serve hot, cold or warm with crème fraîche or cream.

PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring wine, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat; add prunes, and let steep 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer prunes to a bowl. Return liquid to a boil; cook until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, roll out puff pastry into a 12-by-18-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and orange zest; sprinkle evenly over pastry. Arrange prunes in rows over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream; brush mixture on edges of pastry.
• Bake until crust is golden, about 20 minutes, rotating pan and brushing tart with reserved cooking liquid halfway through. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. Serve warm.

FINNISH PRUNE TARTS

Steps:

• Blend dough ingredients with pastry blender.
• Add milk to soften as needed.
• Should make into 4 small or 2 large balls.
• Cover and chill dough overnight.
• Cook the prunes in water until soft.
• Drain.
• Press prunes through wire strainer or pureed in blender.
• Add the sugar and mix well.
• Roll out dough into large square in order to cut into 3 inch square Place a mound of filling in the center.
• Split each corner from the top to within 1/2 inch of the center.
• Fold one half of each corner to the center-- to form a star or pinwheel.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet- you may sprinkle croase grain sugar over tart.
• Let stand 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake in hot oven 400*F for 7 to 10 minutes- until light golden brown (they should be realitively pale).
• Remove and cool on rack.

PLUM TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.
• Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side down, to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.
• Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PLUM PINE-NUT TART

Steps:

• Let dough stand at room temperature until softened and malleable, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• While dough is standing, preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a baking pan toast 2 tablespoons pine nuts in middle of oven until golden, about 5 minutes, and reserve. Cut each plum lengthwise into 12 wedges. In a food processor pulse together remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and anise seeds until pine nuts are finely ground.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured surface 3 or 4 times to help it roll out smoothly, and form it into a disk. On a work surface overlap 2 pieces of wax paper to make a 17- to 18-inch square and dust with flour. Put dough on wax paper and dust dough lightly with flour. With a floured rolling pin roll out dough into a 17-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick).
• To transfer dough to pizza pan, slide a large baking sheet under wax paper and invert pizza pan onto dough. Holding baking sheet and pizza pan together, flip dough onto pizza pan and carefully peel off wax paper. (Unwieldy as it may sound, use this same method for transferring dough to a baking sheet if you aren't using a pizza pan.)
• Sprinkle dough with all but 2 tablespoons nut mixture, leaving a border of about 2 inches. Scatter plums over nut mixture and turn edge of dough over plums. Sprinkle plums with remaining nut mixture and reserved toasted pine nuts.
• Bake tart in middle of oven until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool tart in pan on a rack at least 20 minutes and transfer to a large wooden board. Tart may be made 4 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature.
• Just before serving, lightly dust tart with additional confectioners sugar.

FRANGIPANE-PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375. In a bowl, pour the hot tea over the halved prunes, and let the fruit rehydrate while you make the almond filling.
• Put almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse just until ground (be careful not to overprocess, or the filling will become a hard paste). Add the butter, eggs, brandy and almond essence, if using, and pulse just until smooth.
• Drain prunes well, pressing out any excess liquid with your hands, and place in the tart shell, more or less in an even layer. Spoon on the almond mixture, smoothing it with the back of the spoon, then sprinkle over remaining sliced almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown. Dust with icing sugar, and let cool before serving.

COUNTRY APPLE PRUNE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs for 2 minutes at medium speed; blend in apples. Combine dry ingredients; gradually beat into egg mixture. Stir in plums and nuts. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. , Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; invert onto wire rack to cool. , Just before serving, dust cake with confectioners' sugar.