Plum & cherry gâteau basque
This rather dull-looking pie holds a decadent secret. You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and neither, my friends, should you ever judge a pie by its exterior. Usually at this time of year, when stone fruit is in abundance, I’m putting together numerous, fast ‘open tarts’ but this one is perfect if you have a wee bit of time on your hands. Sumptuously nutty, creamy and full of tangy stone fruit, this sweet creation from the Basque region, which spans the French-Spanish border, is well worth the little extra effort it takes to assemble. Photography by Jani Shephered; Gatherum Collectif.
Feb 16, 2016 5:32am- Makes 1
- 40 mins cooking
ingredients
Nut pastry
- 400 gram flour
- 150 gram unsalted butter, softened
- 50 gram ground roasted hazelnuts (lightly roast nuts on a lined tray at 180°c until fragrant; about 10 minutes. wrap in a tea towel for 5 minutes then rub in the towel to remove skins. grind in a spice grinder)
- 150 gram caster sugar
- 1 egg and 1 egg yolk – plus 1 beaten egg, for glazing pastry
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Almond crème pâtissière filling
- 6 egg yolks
- 200 gram caster sugar
- 60 gram ground almonds
- 60 gram flour
- 1 litre litre full-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
To assemble
- 3 tablespoon good blackberry jam
- 1 cup cherries, stoned
- 10 ripe black doris plums, stoned (or use tinned plums)
method
Nut pastry
- 1
Place the pastry ingredients into a food processor and process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- 2
Depending on the size of your egg and yolk, it may come together here; if it doesn’t, add 1 Tbsp chilled water and pulse again.
- 3
Tip out mixture and squeeze together with your hands. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make the filling.
Almond crème pâtissière filling
- 1
In a stand mixer whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- 2
Sift in the almonds and flour and stir to combine. Add the milk to a large pan with the vanilla paste and heat until almost boiling.
- 3
With the stand mixer’s motor running, pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- 4
When combined, transfer mixture to a large pan and stir over a medium-low heat until it thickens, then set aside to cool. It will look lumpy at one point but don’t panic – it will smooth out and thicken further as it cools.
- 5
Cut off a third of the pastry and set aside. Roll out remainder and use to line a greased 25cm tart tin.
- 6
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To assemble
- 1
When the tart shell is cold, spread the base with jam and dot with a few cherries and plums.
- 2
Pour over some of the filling and then add more cherries and plums. Repeat until the tart shell is full to the top.
- 3
Roll out rest of pastry. Brush a little beaten egg around tart rim and lay pastry on top.
- 4
Press around rim to seal edges and trim off excess. Decorate with bits of pastry if you wish. Brush top with beaten egg to glaze.
- 5
Bake for around 40 minutes or until evenly browned.