A bag of plums! A big bag of plums. Just when you think each day is blindly blending into the next with no real milestones a bag of plums arrives at your front gate. An unexpected big bag of plums. Suddenly your day has purpose and that purpose is Plum and Cardamom Puff Pastry Tarts.
It started with a weekly ZOOM call and a group of close friends. We talk on Fridays. It’s a nice ritual, however, with most of us staying home there sometimes is nothing new to say. Yet somehow, this past Friday, the talk turned to the entirely new subject of plums. The plums on one friend’s tree. She’s got a bumper crop this year and we talked about all the plummy things she’s been preparing. That’s when I probably (boldly) expressed plum envy. It’s a virtual cocktail party after all, and my mouth may have been a little lubricated!
Well, it’s no secret that people are generally kind. And kindness shows itself in many forms. Including through big bag of plums delivered right to your front gate.
Plum and Cardamom Puff Pastry Tarts
What do you keep in your freezer? It’s not just for the leftovers you’d rather soon forget. I keep a few staples in there too. Coffee beans, a tub of vanilla ice cream, some frozen peas, a bottle of gin, and a packet of aspirational pork belly. And another thing: a box of all-butter puff pastry.
Who doesn’t want to the freedom to throw together a crispy, crunchy sweet treat on a whim? You never know when a big bag of plums will come your way.
Speaking of sweet treats. I do have a few actual cooking notes on the following plum tart recipe. The first concerns the puff pastry to the plum ratio. It may seem that less than a pound of plums would never bring enough sweet-tart goodness to these little pies. But let me tell you it’s a big mistake to load up raw puff pastry with thick layers of filling. The delight of these tarts is that they are light and crisp, qualities that you risk losing with too much filling. Besides, you’ll notice the shape of these tarts is decidedly bowl-like. Making them the perfect vessel for vanilla ice cream.
My second tip is directed to the plums: Have you noticed that most plums have stones that tend to stick to the flesh making it difficult to remove the pit without making a mushy mess? Why doesn’t the pit just pop out?
Well, there’s a reason. Stone fruits fall into two categories: freestone and cling. A lot of peaches are freestone– apricots too. Their stones are easy to free. Plums are in the cling category. Their pits cling to the flesh.
You can try to pry the pits free using a variety of kitchen tools. But I bet you end up with a mushy mess. There’s a better way to slice a plum.
How to Cut a Plum Into Slices
Find the cleft running down the length of the plum. With your knife parallel to that indentation, make two vertical cuts on either side of the center of the plum, about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch apart, as you would a mango. These are called cheeks, set them aside.
Trim the remaining flesh from each side of the pit. These slices can be left whole or cut in half lengthwise, depending on the recipe. My tarts call for 1/2‑inch slices so I left them whole.
Slice the two larger remaining “cheek” pieces into 1/2‑inch thick pieces. I prefer to slice straight down for more even cooking, but wedges are fine if you prefer.
GREG
PS I use this same method for apples when slicing them for pie.
Ingredients
- 1 package all-butter puff pastry (thawed in the refrigerator and still cold)
- all-purpose flour (as needed for rolling)
- 4–5 ripe plums (about 3/4‑lb, sliced into ½ inched pieces, pits discarded)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 large egg yolk (mixed with 1‑teaspoon water, as egg wash)
- turbinado sugar (as needed)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°
On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one square of cold dough to about a 10 square, a generous 1/8‑inch thick. Use a paring knife to trim the edges neatly if necessary. Then cut into four 5‑inch squares. Lay squares onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, about ½‑inch apart. Repeat with second square of dough using a second baking sheet if needed.
In a bowl, toss the sliced plums with granulated sugar and the cornstarch and cardamom. Let them sit until the cornstarch is dissolved and no longer white and powdery. Toss again.
Spoon some of the fruit and juices onto the center of each puff pastry square. Working one at a time, fold all four corners over the filling, so that the points meet near the center but do not touch (leave about ¼‑inch of space between them). Press lightly to distribute the filling somewhat, being careful not to let any escape. Pinch the seams closed at the bottom corners to trap any juices, leaving the tops open to vent steam. Repeat with the remaining squares of filled dough. Refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.
Brush the exposed tops and edges of the dough of each tart with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake in the heated oven, until they are golden brown and filling is oozing out a little; 25 to 30 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of ice cream.
Succulent fruit taste!
My plum tree died. They do that you know. In any case I have been slicing my mango correctly but apparently not my plums. Now I know! Thanks Greg for these darling tarts. My mouth is now lubricating itself.
Your friend was certainly kind to make a special delivery of fresh plums. Your tarts look yummy and oh how I love plum tarts.
These look absolutely mouth-watering! I too keep puff pastry, phyllo pastry & pizza dough in the freezer! My MIL had a cousin whose nickname was Peaches and I only just figured out why, his surname was Freestone!
Got some beautiful plums at the market last weekend and made jam (to glaze a chicken). I hope they have more this weekend, as these tarts would fit perfectly into the puff pasty I have on hand. And I need a tart now. Really, now.
Wow! I never knew plums could be cut like mangos! Fascinating! I usually just eat plums, since I’m not a baker, but this is still great information if I were to use plums on a cheese platter… Now I just need a Generous friend with plums.
I love plums especially the Italian variety. Your tart looks good, perfect for an afternoon snack.
I usually cut up my plums exactly the same way! And yeah, I also know about that lubricated mouth problem during cocktail parties. 🙂 Haven’t yet had plums this season — and when I do, this looks like a great way to sue them. Thanks!
Good Lord, do those tarts look good! Such gorgeous colors. And yes, I do see the space that is calling out for vanilla ice cream. How lucky of you to be able to get fresh plums from a friend. Plums are one of those fruits that you can easily take a pass on, until you come across a really fresh, really ripe one … and then it’s so sublime.