Plum Bakewell Tart

Grease a tart tin or dish with butter. Sieve the 500g plain flour and 100g icing sugar into a bowl. Work the 250g cold butter cubes into the flour and sugar until a fine, crumbly mixture forms. Mix in the 1 lemon zest. Add the 2 beaten large eggs and a splash of milk to the mixture and work it together into a ball of dough. Lightly flour the dough, wrap it in cling film, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Once rested, remove the pastry from the fridge and roll it out onto a floured surface. Line the tart dish with the rolled out pastry, pressing it gently into place. Place it in the freezer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the frangipane. To blanch almonds, leave them in a bowl of hot water for 15-20 minutes, then peel the skins off. Blitz the 285g blanched whole almonds in a food processor until finely powdered, then transfer to a bowl with the 50g plain flour. Halve the 1 vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Blitz the 250g cubed unsalted butter, 250g caster sugar, and vanilla seeds in the food processor until light and creamy. Return the almond and flour mixture to the food processor with the 3 lightly beaten large eggs and blend until completely mixed and smooth. Refrigerate the frangipane for about 30 minutes to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the pastry case for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven, leaving the oven on.

Halve the 1 kilogram plums and remove the stones. Finely chop half of the plums and place them in a saucepan with the 100g vanilla sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Cook gently until softened and jam-like in consistency. Stir in the 1 tablespoon cornflour (dissolved in cold water) and simmer until thickened.

While the plum jam is cooking, cut the remaining plum halves into quarters. Sprinkle them with icing sugar and let sit for 5 minutes to make them juicy and shiny. Spoon the warm plum jam into the pre-baked pastry case, reserving a little for serving, and spread it evenly across the bottom. Spread the frangipane over the plum jam. Arrange the quartered plums on the surface of the frangipane, pressing them in lightly. Scatter the 50g sliced or flaked almonds over the top. Place the tart dish on a piece of baking parchment. Bake the tart in the oven for about 1 hour, or until cooked through and golden on top. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Before serving, sieve icing sugar over the top of the tart. Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche and any leftover plum jam.