Equipment
Ingredients
Earl Grey Soaked Prunes
- 200 g dried pitted prunes, whole
- 300 ml water
- 2 earl grey tea bags
- 50 ml brandy
Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Pastry)
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- 80 g icing sugar
- 25 g almond flour
- 1 egg, large
- 2 g salt
Frangipane (Almond Cream)
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 g almond flour
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 10 g all-purpose flour
- 1 g salt
Finish
- 30 g apricot jam
- 15 g flaked almonds
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 463 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 23 g
- Sodium
- 150 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 54 mg
- Potassium
- 163 mg
- Calcium
- 58 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 54 mg
- Phosphorus
- 119 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 171 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 5.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.22 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 15 mcg
- Water
- 45 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the soaking liquid: Bring water to a boil in a saucepan, remove from heat, and steep tea bags for 5 minutes. Remove bags, stir in brandy and sugar (if tea is unsweetened), then add prunes. Ensure they are submerged. Let sit for at least 45 minutes to plump.
For the pastry, combine flour, icing sugar, almond flour, and salt in a processor or bowl. Cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix briefly until a dough just forms. Do not overwork.
Shape dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten and firm the butter.
Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to 3mm thickness. Line the tart tin, pressing gently into the fluted edges. Trim excess. Prick the base with a fork (docking) and freeze for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with baking weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and paper, and bake for another 5 minutes to dry the base. Cool slightly.
Make the frangipane: Cream the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the almond flour, 10g flour, and salt until smooth.
Drain the prunes well (reserve liquid for a syrup if desired). Pat prunes dry with paper towels to prevent soggy filling. Spread the frangipane evenly into the par-baked tart shell.
Arrange the prunes into the frangipane, pressing them down slightly. Scatter flaked almonds over the top if using.
Bake at 170°C/340°F for 35-40 minutes, until the frangipane is puffed, golden brown, and set in the center.
Remove from oven. While warm, gently brush the prunes with warmed apricot jam for shine. Allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- Reduce the leftover soaking liquid into a syrup to serve alongside the tart or over vanilla ice cream.
- For the crispest pastry, ensure your butter is very cold and your hands are cool when handling the dough.
- Armagnac is the traditional pairing for prunes in Southwest France, but the floral notes of Earl Grey bridge the gap nicely with standard Brandy.
- If the frangipane browns too quickly before the center is set, cover the tart loosely with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent pastry softening.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze baked tart well-wrapped; texture of prunes may change slightly.
Reheating: Refresh in a 150°C oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp the pastry.
Troubleshooting
Soggy bottom pastry
Cause: Prunes were too wet or blind bake was insufficient
Fix: Bake on the lowest rack of the oven or on a preheated pizza stone/baking sheet
Prevention: Pat prunes very thoroughly dry after soaking; ensure par-bake is golden before filling
Pastry shrank down the sides
Cause: Dough was not rested enough or was stretched during lining
Fix: Cannot be fixed, trim uneven edges carefully with a serrated knife after baking
Prevention: Chill dough thoroughly; lift dough into corners rather than stretching it
Cultural Context
This tart pays homage to the 'Tarte aux Pruneaux' found in French patisseries, particularly inspired by the region of Agen, famous for its dried plums. The addition of almond cream (frangipane) elevates it from a rustic fruit tart to a refined dessert, a technique popularized by the Parisian culinary tradition.
