Hallo Autumn.....

Bavarian Plum Tart (Zwetschgen Datschi)

....and goodbye summer. See you next year.

 

Autumn is probably my favourite season of the year. Not just because I am an Autumn baby, but also because I love the change in the light in the morning, the change in the colours of leaves on the trees, and layering up in cosy sweaters and scarves. And of course, it means that, (dare I say it), Christmas is not so far away.

With a new season brings seasonal produce to inspire my baking. Of course, you can buy most fruits and vegetables virtually all year round, but I much prefer to use them when they are truly in season. I like that it makes then certain cakes and bakes rather special as they can be seen as a representation of that season on a plate.

The one bake that absolutely signifies early Autumn to me is the delicious and very traditional Bavarian plum tart, known in Bavarian dialect as Zwetschgen Datschi.

Simply speaking, this tart is made from a yeast dough or sweet pastry, pressed thinly onto a baking sheet, covered with stoned and sliced plums and sprinkled generously with cinnamon sugar. When the plums cook the skin colour runs red and deepens and just looks so pretty.

Whenever I have visited Bavaria at this time of year, it is always what I have chosen from the bakery to have with my afternoon tea. What makes it so special is that the particular variety of plum used is only in season for a very short time. They are oval as opposed to round and have a very dark purple skin. I haven't seen them here in the UK, but while researching an equivalent, the Damson plum was suggested. However, I am not a patient sort and don't always have the time nor inclination to go a-hunting a specific ingredient when the same result can be achieved with an alternative. Therefore, I have used the darkest skinned plum that I could find for this tart. I would say though not to use the Victoria variety. Not because they are not delicious, and they are, but because their skins are not dark enough to give the colour that is so specific to this tart.

The recipe comes courtesy of my Grandmother, and I hope I have done it justice. She uses  the sweet pastry option for her version, for which I am thankful. Pastry I can make. Yeast dough is for me is......a little more of a challenge.

I hope that you give this a try and find it as delicious I do, and please, serve it with whipped cream. It is an absolute must. Lighter than double cream, it just works beautifully with this tart, and is how my Grandmother always enjoyed it.
 

 

 For the Pastry

300g plain flour, sifted

100g golden caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

150g cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 large egg, beaten

For the Filling

500g dark skinned plums

1 tbsp demerara sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

I used a 9" loose bottomed square flan tin, greased, but you could just as easily use a swiss roll tin if that is what you have available.

1. Make the pastry by putting the sifted flour, caster sugar and baking powder into a bowl and stirring until combined. Add the butter and using your fingertips rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Make a well in the centre, add the egg and stir using a fork until the mixture starts to come together. Using your hands, press it into a dough. 

3. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in foil and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to rest.

4. Take the dough out of the fridge and allow it to come back to room temperature.

5. Put the dough into the centre of the prepared flan tin and press it down using your hands so it evenly covers the base and sides of the tin. Put the tin in the fridge while you prepare the plums.

6. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4

7. Cut each plum in half, remove the stone and then cut each half into 4 and so that each plum gives you 8 segments.

8. Lay the plum segments lengthways across the pastry base in rows until all they all are used up.

9. Mix together the Demerara sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle liberally over the plums.

10. Put the tart into the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the fruit is cooked and the pastry is golden brown.

11. Cool in the tin before removing the tart. 
 

Baking Notes

If you want to make the pastry ahead of time then you can, as I did. I made the pastry the day before I made the tart and put it in the fridge. The next day I took it out and brought it back to room temperature before using it, which caused it no harm at all. You could also make the pastry in a food processor if you prefer. Just put the dry ingredients into the processor bowl, and the butter and whizz them altogether until you have the requisite fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and pulse until a dough just starts to form. Then take it out and continue with the method from step 2.

 

 

 

Rhubarb Meringue Pie

Did you know that rhubarb is really a vegetable which is treated as a fruit? No, nor did I. 

When I told friends that this was to be the subject of my next post, I had no idea that it was the marmite of the vegetable/fruit hybrid world. It is either really loved, or really not. In between appears not to exist.

Its haters I imagine still have memories of rhubarb that was served at school, when it was over cooked into a slimy and stringy mush, and was either toothache inducingly sweet, or mouth puckeringly sour.

I hope that this Rhubarb Meringue Pie will encourage rhubarb's non fans to give it another try. I have used 'forced' rhubarb for this recipe simply because it is in season. If I was to make this from late March to June maincrop rhubarb would be my choice.
Forced rhubarb is the first crop available from January to early February and is grown in dark conditions. Its stalks are pink, and it is the more tender and delicately flavoured than the second maincrop rhubarb, which is grown outdoors, and whose stalks are a deeper red, have a stronger flavour and firmer texture.

This pie is the most beautiful dessert, and quite delicious. I had a slice (for the purposes of this post, of course), and then went back immediately for another. I had to make sure that it was as tasty as I am saying it is, and had nothing at all to do with greed. To make it requires a little time and effort, but it is definitely worth it. 
The rhubarb is not overly tart, which is surprising since very little sugar is used to sweeten it, the pastry melts in the mouth and the combination of cinnamon and vanilla is just heavenly.
I found this recipe in my new favourite cookbook, 'The Nordic Bakery' by Miisa Mink, and when I saw its photograph, I knew that I had to make it. While testing the recipe I made a few alterations to the method and recipe which I have included below.

For the Sweet Pastry
100g unsalted butter softened
65g golden caster sugar
2 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
125g plain flour
1tsp baking powder

For the Filling

350g rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces

1 tsp ground cinnamon

65g golden caster sugar

For the Meringue
2 medium egg whites, at room temperature
plus 2 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

50g flaked almonds

You will need a 24cm / 10 inch loose bottomed, fluted tart tin, greased

Preheat the oven to 180 C /350 F /Gas 4

serves 6-8

1. Make the pastry by creaming the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder and then stir half into the butter mixture, and then the other half, until the dough just comes together into a ball. Please don't knead it as this will make the pastry tough, and what you want is a light crisp pastry
3. The dough will be very soft and malleable, and put this into the middle of the tart tin and push and press it until the base and sides are covered with an even layer of the pastry. It will take a little while to do this, and you might think that there is not enough pastry, but believe me, there is. Prick all over the base with a fork and then put it into the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.

4. I blind baked the pastry case because I wanted the pastry case to be crisp and cooked through. I did this by putting a sheet of greaseproof paper over the base of the pastry and then weighing down with a layer of dried peas. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, remove the peas and greaseproof paper and then bake for a further 5 minutes.

5. For the filling, simply mix the rhubarb, cinnamon and the 2 tsps. of caster sugar together and then spread over the pastry case in one layer.

6. To make the meringue whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and then gradually add the remaining sugar and vanilla extract, whisking until firm. You will need to make sure that the bowl is scrupulously clean and there are absolutely no specks of yolk in the white, otherwise they will never whisk as you need them to. Spoon over the rhubarb, and spread evenly to cover it. Scatter the almonds over the top.

7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. The meringue will be a lovely golden brown, and the almonds toasted. The rhubarb will have cooked through while still holding its shape, and turned a beautiful pink. There will also be a wonderful smell of vanilla and cinnamon wafting around your kitchen.
8. Leave the pie to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack.

9. Cut yourself a slice, and I defy you, like me, not to go back for a second!

I would love to know if you are a rhubarb convert and you love to hear from you. You can do this by leaving a comment below.