Making pastry from scratch often fills people with dread – I get it. I was always nervous of ‘pastry days’ when I started my degree, but I’ve since learned plenty of tricks of the trade! To give the shortcrust a touch of sweetness, I’ve added a little icing sugar– you don’t need much, as there’s enough sweetness in the nutty filling. If you don’t have a rectangular tin, use a round one instead.
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Yields:
10
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 35 mins
Ingredients
FOR THE PASTRY
250 g plain flour
3 Tbsp. icing sugar
130 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 egg, beaten
FOR THE FILLING
50 g ground almonds
175 g shelled pistachios
2 Tbsp. plain flour
150 g golden caster sugar
150 g unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
100 g plum jam, plus extra for glazing
4 plums, destoned and cut into thin slices
Directions
Step 1Mix the flour with the icing sugar in a large bowl, then use cold hands (see tip) to rub the butter into the flour. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t start to melt – it should look like fine breadcrumbs.
Step 2Make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Use a cold butter knife to bring it together; when it starts to clump, you can use your hands to form a rough ball of dough.
Step 3Tip out on to a clean surface and knead briefly until just smooth. Flatten it into a disc and wrap in clingfilm before chilling in the fridge for 30min.
Step 4Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Roll out chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 33x10cm rectangle tart tin. Prick the base all over with a fork, then line with baking parchment, fill with baking beans and chill for 10min. Remove from the fridge and blind bake for 15min. Carefully remove baking beans and paper, then bake for another 5min. Allow to cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4.
Step 5Put the almonds and pistachios into a food processor and blitz until you have a fine crumb. Stir through the flour and a pinch of salt.
Step 6In another bowl, beat sugar and butter together until light and creamy. Add eggs, beat well to combine and add a spoonful of the nut flour mix to stop it curdling, if needed. Stir in remaining nut flour mix until combined.
Step 7Spread the plum jam over the bottom of the pastry case, then dollop the frangipane mix on top. Nestle in the plum slices and bake for 45-55min until puffed, golden and frangipane feels firm to touch. Remove from the oven and brush the plums immediately with the extra plum jam, trimming off any excess pastry. Allow to cool to room temperature before slicing to serve.
GH TIPS
Pastry does not like warm hands, so run hands and wrists under the cold tap for about 30 seconds before making or using your pastry.
Try not to flour the surface too heavily when rolling out your pastry. It’s tempting, but it can make the pastry tough when baked and mute that lovely buttery taste.
Chilling the pastry again once in the tin will stop shrinkage while baking.
Per serving:
Calories: 550
Protein: 10g
Fat: 35g
Saturates: 15g
Carbs: 48g
Sugars: 29g
Fibre: 3g
69 easy dessert recipes for effortless entertaining, from classic crumbles to showstopping cakes
Linzi joins the Good Housekeeping team as Kitchen Manager, looking after the brand-new, state-of-the art test and demo kitchens based in the heart of Leicester Square. With over a decade of experience producing food content for leading brands, she’s won awards for her recipes, battled Christmas dinners in July, and spent a lot of time pondering the next big food trend (no more pistachio, please!) Originally from the North East of Scotland, she lives in West London with her Italian husband and twin daughters, feeding them a variety of haggis and ragu - depending on the mood!
