Best Prune Tart Recipes

FRANGIPANE-PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375. In a bowl, pour the hot tea over the halved prunes, and let the fruit rehydrate while you make the almond filling.
• Put almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse just until ground (be careful not to overprocess, or the filling will become a hard paste). Add the butter, eggs, brandy and almond essence, if using, and pulse just until smooth.
• Drain prunes well, pressing out any excess liquid with your hands, and place in the tart shell, more or less in an even layer. Spoon on the almond mixture, smoothing it with the back of the spoon, then sprinkle over remaining sliced almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown. Dust with icing sugar, and let cool before serving.

PRUNE, CHERRY, AND APRICOT FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Make dried-fruit compote:
• Heat grappa with sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Add fruit and gently simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let macerate, stirring occasionally, 24 hours.
• Make tart shell:
• Set flan ring on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. (If using a tart pan, parchment is not necessary.) Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into flan ring and trim excess dough. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake until bottom is golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Make frangipane filling and bake tart:
• Beat almond paste, butter, sugar, extract, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in flour.
• Spread frangipane filling in cooled shell. Drain fruit in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving syrup, and scatter fruit over filling, pressing in slightly. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer tart on parchment to a rack. Brush reserved syrup over tart and cool to warm or room temperature.

APPLE AND PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Pulse together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons ice water and pulse until pastry starts to hold together, adding remaining tablespoon ice water if needed. Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Form dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
• Make filling:
• Simmer water, Calvados, and prunes, uncovered, until most of liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Stir together cinnamon, cloves, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Peel and core apples and cut into 1/2-inch wedges. Halve wedges crosswise and toss with cinnamon mixture. Add lemon juice and toss to coat.
• Finely grind walnuts with remaining 3 tablespoons flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor.
• Assemble and bake tart:
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14- by 18-inch oval. Roll dough loosely onto floured rolling pin and unroll onto a large buttered baking sheet. Spinkle walnut mixture over pastry, leaving a 2 1/2- to 3-inch border.
• Stir stewed prunes into apple mixture and spoon over walnut mixture, evenly tucking prunes between apple pieces. Turn edge of dough over fruit to form pleats. Brush top of dough with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake tart, loosely covered with foil, in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crust and fruit are golden and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes more. Cool tart on baking sheet on a rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring wine, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat; add prunes, and let steep 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer prunes to a bowl. Return liquid to a boil; cook until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, roll out puff pastry into a 12-by-18-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and orange zest; sprinkle evenly over pastry. Arrange prunes in rows over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream; brush mixture on edges of pastry.
• Bake until crust is golden, about 20 minutes, rotating pan and brushing tart with reserved cooking liquid halfway through. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. Serve warm.

APPLE, APRICOT, AND PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Into a chilled large metal bowl sift together flour and salt. Set a grater in bowl and using largest teardrop-shaped holes coarsely grate frozen butter into flour, gently lifting and tossing flour to coat butter. Chill mixture 20 minutes. Drizzle 8 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork until just incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until just incorporated, and test mixture again. (If you overwork or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)
• Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and with floured hands mound into 4 portions. With heel of hand smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough portions together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk (dough will not be smooth). Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 2 hours, or until firm, and up to 2 days.
• On floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll out dough 1/4 inch thick (about a 15-inch round). Fit dough into a 12 1/2- by 1-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom and with a rolling pin roll over top of shell to trim pastry flush with rim. With a fork prick bottom of shell all over. Chill shell 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425° F.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or raw rice. Bake shell in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove weights or rice and foil and bake shell until golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool shell in pan on a rack.
• Make filling
• Peel, core, and chop 1 apple. In a saucepan cook chopped apple, apricots, 1/2 cup sugar, and water, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender, about 12 minutes. Cool mixture 20 minutes. In a food processor pulse mixture until smooth and transfer to a small bowl. Chop prunes and stir into purée. Peel remaining 4 apples and quarter. Core apples and cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
• Spoon apricot purée evenly into shell and smooth top. Decoratively arrange apple slices, overlapping them, over purée and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake tart in middle of oven until apple slices are slightly browned and crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool tart slightly in pan on rack. In a small saucepan melt jam over low heat and pour through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Press hard on solids and discard. With a pastry brush, brush glaze evenly over tart.
• Serve tart with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

PRUNE, CHERRY, AND APRICOT FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• make dried fruit compote
• Heat the grappa with the sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the fruit and gently simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let macerate, stirring occasionally, 24 hours.
• make tart shell
• Blend together the flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
• Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture. Gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful of dough: if it doesn't hold together, add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With the heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather the dough together with a pastry scraper, if you have one. Press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Set an 11-inch flan ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If using a tart pan, parchment is not necessary.) Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round, then fit into the flan ring and trim excess dough. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F, with the rack in the middle.
• Lightly prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the side is set and the edge is pale golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake until the bottom is golden, about 10 minutes more. Cool completely in the pan, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.
• make frangipane filling
• Beat the almond paste, butter, sugar, extract, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the flour.
• fill tart and bake
• Spread the frangipane filling in the cooled shell. Drain the fruit in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the syrup, and scatter the fruit over the filling, pressing in slightly. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer the tart on parchment to a rack. Brush the reserved syrup over the tart and cool to warm or room temperature.
• do ahead
• The DRIED FRUIT can be macerated up to 3 days.
• The TART SHELL can be baked 1 day ahead and kept (once cool), wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
• The TART is best eaten the day it is baked but can be made 1 day ahead, covered with foil, kept at room temperature.
• The DOUGH can be chilled 2 days or frozen, wrapped well, 3 months.

PRUNE CUSTARD TART

Steps:

• Two days before preparing the flan, toss the prunes with Armagnac or Cognac, cover securely and set aside to marinate. (If time is limited, you can skip the marinade and simply toss the prunes with the spirits, although the two-day marinade will offer a richer, more flavorful dessert.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 10 1/2-inch straight-sided ceramic baking dish.
• Add one tablespoon of sugar to the marinated prunes and toss. Place them on the bottom of the prepared baking dish, forming a single, tight layer that thoroughly covers the bottom of the dish.
• Place the eggs and three tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl and, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat until well blended. Add the flour and mix well. Add the milk and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until bubbly and brown, about 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature. This is just as delicious the next day.

APPLE AND PRUNE TART WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM AND COGNAC

Steps:

• Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add shortening and butter and blend, using on/off turns, until coarse meal forms. Add 3 tablespoons ice water. Blend, using on/off turns, until moist clumps form, adding more water by 1/2 tablespoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Combine prunes and Cognac in small bowl. Cover; let stand 2 hours, stirring often. Drain prunes, reserving Cognac. Cut prunes in half; set aside. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming double-thick sides; refrigerate crust 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix apples, sugar and 2 tablespoons butter in large bowl. Arrange apple wedges, overlapping slightly, in concentric circles in crust. Bake tart until apples are just tender, about 1 hour. Tuck prunes into spaces between apples. Brush fruit with 1 tablespoon butter. Bake tart until apples are very tender and crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer. Transfer tart to rack and cool 15 minutes.
• Blend 1 tablespoon reserved Cognac into strained preserves for glaze. Brush glaze over warm tart. Cut tart into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream, drizzling some of reserved Cognac over ice cream.

PRUNE & NUT TART

Steps:

• If you want to make the pastry by hand, beat the butter until it is smooth then mix in the icing sugar, one of the eggs and then add the flour. Or, put all the pastry ingredients (again 1 egg only) in the food processor with 2 tsp water and process just until they form a dough. Wrap the pastry in cling film and put in the fridge for half an hour or so to firm up. (You can freeze the pastry now for up to a month.)
• You need to bake the pastry case blind before adding the filling. The best and easiest way to roll the pastry is between 2 floured pieces of cling film. Line a loose-bottomed 23cm tart tin with the pastry, then line this with a piece of greaseproof paper. Put your baking beans on the paper then put the pastry case in the freezer.
• Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C.When the pastry case is rock solid (after about 1⁄2-1 hour), put it in the oven on a baking sheet. After 15 minutes, lift out the paper and beans very carefully and glaze the inside with your second egg, beaten first (this makes sure you have no leaks later). Put back in the oven for a further 5 minutes.
• For the filling, melt the butter and leave it to cool a little.While this is happening, beat the eggs, then stir in the sugar and cooled butter. Scatter half the almonds in the base of the tart, then spread the prunes around. Pour the filling over evenly.
• Scatter the rest of the almonds over the top and bake for 20-30 minutes until firm. Take it out, dust over some icing sugar and serve hot, cold or warm with crème fraîche or cream.

TARTE AUX PRUNEAUX (PRUNE TART --GASCOGNY)

Steps:

• To make the crust.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
• Cut in the butter, mixing with your finger tips or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add the water, drops at a time, until dough forms--add no more water than absolutely necessary.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a disc to fit at ten or ten and a half inch tart mold.
• Lay the dough over the mold and gently press it into place on the bottom and sides.
• Remove any excess dough and refrigerate the tart mold for at least one hour.
• To make the Filling:.
• Place the prunes in a bowl and cover with hot water; add the lemon juice and allow prunes to stand for about half an hour or until plumped.
• Drain and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy -- do not under-beat.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating continuously.
• Fold in the flour and the ground almonds and mix gently but well.
• Pour this mixture into the prepared tart mold, smooth the top with a spatula, and arrange the prunes on top.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the surface turns golden brown.
• Remove from over and pour the Armagnac over the tart.
• Cool for a few minutes, then brush the top with the warm apricot preserves to glaze.
• Serve at room temperature.
• Note: If the edges of your tart brown too quickly place a ring of foil over the crust.

PRUNE, APPLE AND CALVADOS TART

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C / 375°F.
• Process 125g diced chilled butter, 25g caster sugar and the grated orange rind in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Turn into a bowl.
• Mix 30ml water and the egg yolk, blend into the mixtureand knead lightly to form a ball; wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
• Roughly chop the prunes, grate the apple and pour over the Calvados.
• Melt the remaining butter and mix with the ground almonds, beaten eggs and remaining caster sugar.
• Roll the pastry thinly and line 23 cm (9inch) round 4cm (11/4inch) deep, loose based, fluted flan tin. Bake blind until set.
• Add the prunes and apple to the almond mixture and spoon into the flan case. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Leave to cool for about 20 minutes.
• Melt the jam with 15ml (1tbsp) orange juice, when bubbling, sieve, then brush over the top of the tart.
• Serve warm or cold with Greek yogurt or creme fraiche.

PRUNE AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• At least one hour before preparing the tart, pour the hot tea over the prunes and set aside to marinate.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Prepare the cream filling. In a spice grinder or the bowl of a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine powder. Thoroughly blend the almonds with the egg, sugar, brandy and cream. The mixture should be very smooth.
• Thoroughly drain the prunes, discarding the soaking liquid. Carefully arrange the prunes in the cooled, prebaked tart shell. This will seem like a lot of prunes, and you may have to arrange them in two layers. Pour the cream filling over the prunes and place the tart in the center of the oven.
• Bake until the cream filling has set and the tart shell is nicely browned, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

RED WINE-POACHED PRUNE TART

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring wine, orange juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and the cinnamon stick to a boil. Remove from heat; add prunes, and let steep 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer prunes to a bowl. Return liquid to a boil; cook until slightly reduced and thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out and trim dough to a 12-by-9-inch rectangle. (If necessary, overlap edges of 2 smaller pieces to form a larger rectangle; brush overlap with water to seal, then roll out dough.) Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine orange zest and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar; sprinkle evenly over pastry. Arrange prunes in rows over pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream; brush over edges of pastry.
• Bake, brushing tart with reserved cooking liquid halfway through, until crust is golden, about 28 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve warm with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

PRUNE AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• TO PREPARE THE PASTRY: In a food processor, combine 1 cup of the flour, the butter, salt, and sugar. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, 5 to 10 seconds but no longer. Add the ice water and pulse 8 to 10 times, or until the pastry just begins to hold together. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and flatten into a disk. (If the dough is too sticky, knead it briefly, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to make a smooth dough.) Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up 24 hours.On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 12-inch-diameter round. As you roll, lift up the edges and dust some flour underneath to keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Fit the dough into a 10 1/2-inch false-bottomed tart pan. Trim the overhang, leaving about 3/4 inch, then fold the overhang back into the pan, pressing gently along the sides to create double-thick sides. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour.Preheat the oven to 375°F.Prick the bottom of the tart shell with a fork and line with aluminum foil, pressing into all the edges to avoid shrinkage while baking. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 20 minutes, or just until the pastry begins to brown along the edges. Remove the weights and foil and return shell to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned all over. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes.TO PREPARE THE FILLING: Pour the hot tea over the prunes in a large bowl and let stand for at least 1 hour, or until soft. (Depending on when you plan to fill the tart shell, you may want to soak the prunes before you begin making the pastry.)Preheat the oven to 375°F.In a food processor, grind the almonds to a fine powder. Add the egg, crème fraîche, sugar, and brandy. Process until smooth.Drain the prunes and briefly run them under water to remove any tea leaves. Delicately pat them dry with paper towels. Arrange the prunes in concentric circles in the cooled tart shell in one layer. Pour the almond mixture evenly over the prunes.Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the filling begins to set and the shell is nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust evenly with the confectioners' sugar and serve.From Dinner Parties. Text copyright © 2004 by Jessica Strand. Photographs copyright © 2004 by Victoria Pearson. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

FRANGIPANE-PRUNE TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375. In a bowl, pour the hot tea over the halved prunes, and let the fruit rehydrate while you make the almond filling.
• Put almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse just until ground (be careful not to overprocess, or the filling will become a hard paste). Add the butter, eggs, brandy and almond essence, if using, and pulse just until smooth.
• Drain prunes well, pressing out any excess liquid with your hands, and place in the tart shell, more or less in an even layer. Spoon on the almond mixture, smoothing it with the back of the spoon, then sprinkle over remaining sliced almonds. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is a nice golden brown. Dust with icing sugar, and let cool before serving.