As we say hello to Autumn, we must make our peace with the last of the summer flavors. Gone are the peaches and berries, the sweet corn and melons. Fortunately, Fall is prime time for fruits like apples, pears and those fleeting late Italian prune plums.
So begins the annual Fall Plum Tart, modeled on the famous New York Times recipe. They call it torte; I call it tart. Take your pick. It’s super easy and will impress every time.
For years, a variation of this sweet and tangy plum tart graced my table, made with butter and eggs of course. Once I became a vegan, I just gave it up, figuring it was a small price to pay. Thankfully, it’s back.
The clever folks at The Vegan Word came up with the idea of using non-dairy yogurt. Tweaking that recipe, I came up with this one. It’s much less sweet, a bit more fruity and flavorful and prepared in a pan with a removable bottom, letting the beautiful tart take center stage. Perfect for Fall holiday festivities or just a cool evening and it comes together in less than 10 minutes (baking time extra).
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (raw sugar or coconut sugar works great)
1/2 Cup vegan margarine (I like a coconut based variety)
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Cup Non-Dairy Yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
12 Italian Prune Plums, halved and pitted
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Step One: Preheat oven to 350 Degrees and lightly grease the bottom and sides of a spring-form type pan (8-9 inches is ideal). I like one with a push-up bottom but the clamp-together kind is fine too.
Step Two: In a food processor, or using a hand mixer, cream the margarine and 1/2 cup of sugar until fluffy. You can do this by hand but the food processor is super easy.
Step Three: Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Usually a few pulses of the food processor will do it.
Step Four: Add the yogurt and vanilla, and again, mix well.
Step Five: Spoon the batter into the pan, smoothing top with a rubber spatula.
Step Six: Arrange the pitted, halved plums, skin side up in a beautiful circle, starting from the center. Don’t worry about spaces since the batter will come up through the gaps.
Step Seven: Sprinkle the reserved tablespoon of sugar and the cinnamon on top.
Step Eight: Bake 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean.
Step Nine: Cool for 15-30 minutes on a rack and then run a knife around the outer edge to make it easier to release. Remove sides of pan. Let it finish cooling before serving.
Enjoy. Everyone eats leftovers for breakfast so go for it.
