The mirabelle plums hail from Lorraine and show up only in the short season. It is a yellow, red-flecked and tiny cherry-tomato-sized and sweet and delicate flavor. Here is a traditional mirabelle plum tart, simple and flavorful recipe!
Has anyone ever long for the dish that they have read just in novels, or fruits and vegetables that they have never seen? For me, the mirabell plums was one of the long-sought fruits.
Mirabelle Plum from Lorraine
The mirabelle comes from the plum family, it is a yellow, red-flecked and tiny cherry-tomato-sized. The flavor is similar to that of a plum, sweet and delicate but I find that there is also a hint of something more exotic, like Jasmin flowers.
The mirabelle plums hail from Lorraine, the north-eastern region of France, and show up only in the short season, from late summer to early fall. Normally It's difficult to find them fresh and they made into jam, brandy or Eau de vie. Therefore, if I chanced upon at my local market I'm forced to loading a few into my basket. Then think about what to cook them for.
For this recipe, I recommend you use mirabelle distilled liqueur if you can obtain it. Otherwise, Kirsch or other fruit liqueur will go well. The flavor of mirabelle plum is delicate, so you should avoid liqueurs that taste too strong.
Unfortunately, I didn't have mirabelle liqueur so this time I used an Italian distilled liqueur 'Grappa'. Grappa is a grape-based pomace brandy. It is colorless and transparent (when it is not aged) with a delicate, fruity scent and a dry and clean taste. It went well with the mirabelle plums.
The relationship between sugar and liquor
Speaking of sweets with liquor, you might imagine Whisky bonbon or brandy cakes, but that's not in case. When making sweets (depending on the type of sweets, of course), I often add liquor (or liqueur).
The advantage of using liquor for sweets is to balance sweetness.
Sugar is important for making sweets. If you reduce it too much, the dough will become dry out. Still, if you feel the taste is too sweet, add liquor and you will mild the sweetness without changing the amount of sugar. It gives a richer taste, too.
Who has never used liquor for sweets, I recommend starting to use Kirsh (cherry distilled spirits), rum, and Grand Marnier (orange distilled spirits). Those are easy to find and use.
How to Control the Juiciness of Your Fruit tart
When you use watery fruit for baking tart, how to keep from getting soggy? I often use the following these methods:
- Saute fruit lightly before putting into the mold
I use this method for tart tatin because I have to use in a large number of apples when I make it.
- Bake whole fruit (without cutting or removing the peel and stones)
Sometimes clafoutis (A French dessert made with black cherries that is covered with flan-like batter) bakes with whole cherries. And Schiacciata d'uva (Florentine grape bread) often use whole grapes.
- Cover and bake the bottom of the pastry shell with the almond cream (or another cake batter)
I took the third method for this tart. I' like to remove the stones, thus I'm obliged to cut them. I cut in half and place them skin side down so that they do not bleed too much. I know if I put them the skin side up look better, but the fruit juice falls on the dough and there is a risk of getting soggy.
There are other very good plums and they can be used in this recipe, like a gold plum. If you wish to use mirabelle plums at any rate, you might use mirabelle plum jam or compote.
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Mirabelle Plum Tart
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
The mirabelle plums hail from Lorraine and show up only in the short season. It is a yellow, red-flecked and tiny cherry-tomato-sized and sweet and delicate flavor. Here is a traditional mirabelle plum tart, simple and flavorful recipe!
Ingredients
For Pâte Sablée
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 5 ½ tablespoons (80g) unsalted butter, (cold, cut in cubes)
- 5 tablespoons (35g) powder sugar
- ¼ cup or 4 tablespoons (25g) almond flour
- 1 egg yolk
- pinch of salt
For the almond cream
- 3 tablespoons (45g) unsalted butter, softened
- 5 ½ tablespoons (40g) powder sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup (50g) almond flour
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) fruit liqueur, (liqueur de Mirabele or kirsch, this time I used Grappa)
For the garnish
- Approx. 20 mirabelle plums, (Halve and remove the stones)
Instructions
For Pâte Sablée
- In a large bowl, put the flour, almond flour, powder sugar, a pinch of salt and the cold butter cut in cubes. Mix together until you obtain fine crumbs.
- Add the egg yolk and a teaspoon of water if you need. Knead the dough until you have a smooth ball. It's OK If you keep it a bit crumbly. If it is too worked it will be too hard when cooked.
- Leave in the fridge for at least one hour.
For the almond cream
- Put the softened butter and the powder sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the almond flour and mix to combine.
- Add the egg yolk and fruit liqueur, beat until all is mixed.
For the garnish
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) .
- Cut two baking paper on your bench longer than the size of the circle of pastry. Put your dough in the middle of the first sheet, place the second on top and with a rolling pin, flatten the dough.
- Place and gently shape the pastry following the mold edges. Remove any pastry excess with the tip of a knife. With a fork, prick the dough all over.
- Cover the bottom of the pastry shell with the almond cream. Arrange the mirabelle plums on top of the cream. (Placing them skin side down into the cream so that they do not bleed too much!)
- Bake for 30 - 35min until the surface is golden.
- Prep Time: 1 hours
- Inactive Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Tarts
- Cuisine: french
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 grams
- Calories: 548
- Sugar: 23
- Sodium: 117
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 91
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 11
- Cholesterol: 79
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