Summertime desserts aren't allowed to be fussy.
The berries and stone fruits just won't have it.
Store-bought puff pastry (one of the few things I made in culinary school that I knew I would never make again) becomes a slapdash bed--a futon--for plums that are perfect just the way they are.
I goofed up the pastry's corners, didn't egg wash the edges, didn't add cinnamon or lemon zest or vanilla bean, and didn't shine up the plums with a jam glaze.
Still a natural beauty.
Positively ravishing with a spoonful of pistachio or hazelnut gelato close by.
Puff pastry plum tart
Serves 8
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
- flour, for dusting
- 3 Tbsp. turbinado sugar
- 5 large plums, pitted and cut into 10 wedges each
- 1-1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- gelato, for serving
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to form a 12-1/2-inch-by-17-1/2-inch rectangle. Cut 1/2-inch strips from each side of the puff pastry. Transfer the large rectangle to a baking sheet covered in parchment (or, leave it naked if a little burnt sugar doesn't rattle you).
Brush a 1/2-inch wide border of water along each edge of the rectangle. Top with their matching strips of dough, pressing gently with your fingers to encourage them to adhere. Do something prettier with the corners than I did. Use a fork to poke several sets of holes into the bottom of the pastry. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring it to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the chilled dough with 2 Tbsp. of the sugar, then arrange the plums on top in schoolgirl rows. Grace with the remaining sugar and dot with the butter.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, pronouncing it perfetto when the edges are puffed, proud, and golden brown.
Serve with gelato if you crave adoration.