Helen Goh’s recipe for plum and star anise frangipane tart | Pastry

Late-season plums are fantastic to bake with; juicy and barely astringent as you get nearer to the pores and skin, they soften right into a wealthy, virtually winey sweetness. And, once they’re nestled into comfortable almond cream and scented with star anise, they make a scrumptious tart for any time of day. Serve heat with pouring cream as pudding or chilly with a cup of tea.Plum and star anise frangipane tartPrep 15 minChill 1 hr 30 minCook 1 hr 45 minServes 8-10For the pastry300g plain flour, plus additional for dusting90g icing sugar¼ tsp salt200g chilly unsalted butter, reduce into cubes, plus an additional 10g, melted, for greasingFinely grated zest of 1 lemon 1 giant egg yolk20ml ice-cold waterFor the plums 4-5 medium plums (about 100g every), halved, stoned and sliced into 1cm-wide wedges1 tbsp caster sugar3 entire star anise (about 3g), finely floor in a mortar to get 1½ tspFor the filling125g unsalted butter, at room temperature125g caster sugarFinely grated zest of 1 orange¼ tsp nice sea salt½ tsp almond extract, or vanilla extract2 eggs, at room temperature40g plain flour125g floor almondsIcing sugar, to finishTo make the pastry, put the flour, icing sugar and salt in a meals processor and pulse a couple of instances to mix and aerate. Add the butter and lemon zest, then course of to the consistency of recent breadcrumbs.Flippantly whisk the egg yolk and water, then add to the flour combine and pulse till it begins to return collectively. Tip out the dough (it is going to be fairly comfortable and barely sticky) on to a frivolously floured worktop and pat gently to carry it collectively. Divide the pastry in two with one piece barely bigger than the opposite, then wrap every loosely in clingfilm. Press gently to type discs and put the bigger piece within the fridge for at the very least an hour (and as much as three days); freeze the opposite piece of pastry for one more use.To make the tart, grease a 23cm x 2½cm tart tin with a detachable base with butter. Unwrap the pastry disc (if it is vitally agency, soften it barely by tapping throughout with a rolling pin), then roll out on a frivolously floured worktop to about 4mm thick. Line the tart tin with the pastry, then trim the overhang and chill within the fridge for at the very least half-hour.Warmth the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gasoline 6. Line the chilled pastry case with a sheet of baking paper and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 20 minutes, then carry out the beans and paper. Return the tart to the oven, flip down the temperature to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gasoline 5 and bake for one more seven or eight minutes, till gentle golden brown. Take away, and depart the oven on.In the meantime, combine the plums, sugar and a half-teaspoon of the bottom star anise in a small bowl.For the almond cream, put the butter, sugar, orange zest, remaining teaspoon of floor star anise and the salt within the bowl of an electrical mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high till gentle and creamy. Add the almond extract, then the eggs one by one, beating effectively after every addition. Flip down the pace to low, add the flour and floor almonds, and blend totally. Scrape into the pastry shell, then clean the highest. Prepare the plum wedges in a neat, tight concentric circle on high, then bake for 40-45 minutes, till the filling is about.Take away, depart to chill a little bit within the tin, then ease out and on to a serving plate. Mud frivolously with icing sugar and serve heat or chilly.