Russian Plum & Almond Tart

This week marks another one of our (what seems to be monthly now) ethnic dinner parties. So far we've tackled everything from German, to Indian, to African food. This week is Slavic week. I was in charge of making dessert. I came across a simple recipe for a Russian Plum and Almond Tart. It's quick to make, looks pretty, and tastes good. How bad can that be?! Below is the recipe. Enjoy!

Plum and Almond Tart

Ingredients:

Crust
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3.5oz chilled butter
4 tbsp sour cream

Topping
2oz softened butter
1/4 cup sugar plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling on top
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup ground almonds
6 plums
1/2 cup plum jam
4 tbsp flaked almonds


To make the crust:
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and mush flour and butter together with your fingers until everything is fully incorporated and looks like breadcrumbs.

Add in the sour cream, one tablespoon at a time, and mix to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in serane wrap and chill for 30 minutes. (The dough is a dryer pastry dough than normal.)

To make the topping:
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Alternate adding in the eggs and ground almonds

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Roll out the pastry dough so it fits in a 12" round tart dish. Pour the almond mixture into the tart dish. Cut down the pastry dough so there is just enough to fold down a bit to create an edge (about 2cm). Cut each plum into quarters (make sure to remove the pit) and arrange on top of the tart in a nice design, skin side up.

Bake the tart for 30-40 minutes or until browned.

Warm the plum jam (15-20 seconds in the microwave) and put through a sieve to remove any large chunks of fruit. Brush over the top of the tart. Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top and glaze again.

Serves about 8 people