A late summer treat

On Friday we had friends to supper and I made a plum tart which everyone seemed to enjoy. This is my recipe that I put together a little while ago when I couldn't find a recipe the tart that I was craving.

This tart is rich in almonds, a taste for which I inherit from my Mother. When Mother makes a bakewell tart, or anything similar with a frangipane element, she always reduces the amount of flour and adds extra ground almonds. Marzipan is another family favourite and I remember making it with my Grandmother as a small child and being surprised at how simple it was to make (and how much better homemade marzipan tastes than the shop bought blocks). My Mother is half Austrian-Czech and half English and I am sure that this shared love of almonds comes from the central European side.

When I taste a ripe Victoria plum I am carried back to my childhood. Isn't it strange that tastes and smells can be so evocative. In the tiny garden of the cottage where I grew up there was a wonderful plum tree which was laden with fruit every summer and was even heavily weighted with plums the year that it finally collapsed.

So, my plum tart, which is preferably made with deliciously ripe English Victoria plums, isn't quite a bakewell and isn't quite a Zwetschgen Datschel but definitely is influenced by the tastes and heritage of the women who brought me up. Like these matriarchs, it is a bit English, a bit Austrian and provides a great supply of almondy goodness.

My Plum Tart
(the mixture of imperial and metric measures might be annoying but is also a nod to my mixed upbringing and my bad habit of switching between the two systems)

For the pastry:
4oz plain flour
2oz butter
2oz caster sugar
2 egg yolks
2 drops of vanilla essence
Prepare the pastry early if possible so that it has at least 45 minutes to an hour to chill in the fridge before rolling out. If you think it is too sticky just add a bit more flour.

Almond filling:
100g butter
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
100g ground almonds
25g plain flour
Cream the butter with the sugar before gradually mixing in the beaten eggs a little at a time. Stir in the almonds and the flour. You could also add some flavouring if you like - some plum liqueur or schnapps? Line a tart tin with the pastry and then fill the case with the almond mixture.

Top with:
Victoria plums or other English plums sliced in half and placed gently upon the almond mixture, skin side down, to cover the surface of the tart.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 200c