Swiss Plum Tart

Fall is here meaning now’s the time to paint a lasting seasonal memory and enjoy the last fresh harvest of the summer fruits. Today’s recipe may be used as a final fresh fruit-of-the-season sendoff - a swan song of a piece, you might say.

This is a classic Swiss tart based on a recipe that's been around for over 500 years, so you know it’s going to taste good. This tart has a paté brisee (pie dough) crust, topped with fresh fruit and custard. This tart is not too sweet — in Switzerland, a spoonful of sugar is often sprinkled on the tart to tailor the taste to your liking.

Swiss Plum Tart

Preheat the oven to 400˚

Make the crust – Place the pastry flour, sea salt and baking powder in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter cubes and process for 20-30 seconds until the mixture is combined. Add the frozen coconut oil and pulse for 20-30 seconds until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Sprinkle with 5 tbsp of cold water and the vinegar. Using a rubber spatula, toss gently to combine. I switch to gloved hands at the point and gently knead to combine until the mixture holds together. You may need a little more ice water until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. 

Make the custard – In a high speed blender, combine the coconut milk, egg whites, organic sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and turmeric and blend until smooth.

Make the tart – On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough ⅛” thick in a large circle about 12″ wide. Transfer the dough to a greased and floured 10″ quiche pan. Press the dough into the pan and trim the excess dough around the edges. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. Fork the dough, line the tart pan with foil and pour in some dry beans. Blind bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans and return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.

Prepare the plums – Sprinkle almond meal over bottom of crust Arrange the plums in a decorative pattern over the crust. Carefully pour the custard over the plums. Cover the edge of the tart with foil.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time until the custard is set. Remove the foil. Let cool to room temperature.

makes one 10" tart

TART CRUST

  • 1 ¾ cup pastry flour  note: I used Janies Mill Frederick flour
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • ⅛ tsp baking powder
  • 6 tbsp vegan butter, cut into cubes and chilled
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter, cut into small pieces, put in freezer for at least 30 minutes
  • 5 tbsp ice cold water
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 

CUSTARD FILLING

  • ⅔ cup coconut milk
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tbsp organic cane sugar 
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • a pinch ground turmeric for color

ITALIAN PLUMS

  • 15  Italian plums, quartered and pit removed
  • ¼ cup blanched almond meal
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar