A simple free-form tart filled with softly baked blackberries and plums. The wholemeal spelt pastry is nutty and crisp with the crunch of demerara sugar and toasted flaked almonds on top. Perfect for an autumn dessert, served warm with creme fraiche or ice cream.
Ingredients
For the pastry
115g unsalted butter
190g wholemeal spelt flour
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tsp white wine vinegar
3 - 4 tbsp ice cold water
For the filling
40g blanched almonds
2 heaped tbsp demerara sugar, divided
2 tbsp wholemeal spelt flour
4 or 5 plums, depending on size
handful blackberries
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp flaked almonds
Instructions
A few minutes before you want to make the pastry, place the butter in the freezer to firm up.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon and salt. Remove the butter from the freezer and coarsely grate into the bowl of flour. Using your fingertips, rub the grated butter into the flour to form a shaggy dough - some little pieces of butter, about the size of your little fingernail, are fine.
Add the vinegar and 5 tbsp water, mixing quickly to form a ball of dough and adding a little more water as necessary.
Flatten the dough slightly, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To make the filling, blitz the almonds with 1 heaped tbsp demerara sugar and the wholemeal spelt flour until coarsely ground. Halve the plums, remove the stones and cut into slices.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Line a baking tray or board that will fit in your oven with baking parchment. Roll the dough out directly onto the baking parchment to a circle approximately 30cm round, dusting the rolling pin with a little flour if you're worried it will stick.
Scatter the almond mixture over the round of dough, leaving a gap of 3 - 4cm all the way round the edge.
Arrange the plum slices in concentric circles over the top, tucking the blackberries into any gaps. You want the blackberries pushed down slightly otherwise they could burn in the oven. Tuck the pastry over and around the fruit to form a crust. Refrigerate the galette for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C fan assisted oven. If you have a baking stone, pop it in the oven, otherwise a baking tray will do.
Remove the galette from the fridge and brush with a little egg yolk. Sprinkle with the remaining demerara sugar (adding a little more if your fruit is particularly under-ripe) and flaked almonds then transfer to your pre-heated baking stone or tray. Bake for around 40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden and the fruit bubbling and soft.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve warm in slices with creme fraiche or ice cream.
Recipe by thelittleloaf at http://www.thelittleloaf.com/2014/10/06/free-form-blackberry-plum-almond-tart/