THE BEST PLUM AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• For the pastry. If using ready-made shortcrust, roll out as thinly as possible and line the tin. If making your own pastry, place flour and sugar in bowl of food processor, cut cold butter into small (1cm approx) cubes and add to dry ingredients. Process briefly until mix resembles breadcrumbs. Tip into bowl, add egg and cold water. Mix with knife until dough comes together. Knead very briefly just to bring mix to a smooth dough, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 mins. (If you don't have a food processor, rub butter into flour until mix resembles breadcrumbs, then proceed as above).
• Remove dough from fridge. If it feels very cold and solid, leave for 10 or 15 minutes at room temperature until it yields a little to your touch. Roll out pastry as thinly as possible and line prepared tin. Reserve excess pastry for another day (you can freeze it - remember to label it sugar dough, not plain!) then return pastry case to fridge for at least half an hour.
• Halve and stone the plums.
• Once pastry has rested for half an hour, pre-heat oven to 190C, remove pastry case from fridge and place plums, cut side up (or other fruit), and evenly distributed, inside pastry case. Mix all filling ingredients together, beat well and pour over plums. Sprinkle over some flaked almonds and a tablespoon of sugar.
• Bake for approximately 35 minutes, turning if necessary, until the filling has risen above the plums and is a lovely deep golden brown. The flaked almonds should have slightly caramelised. If it looks a bit pale, leave for another five minutes and check again - it should be the colour of toffee. You can bake the tart earlier in the day or even the day before, just reheat in a moderate oven for about ten or 15 minutes (or, even better, if the oven has been on for the main course at a hot temperature, just put the tart in the oven when you turn the oven off and it will be perfect for dessert). Serve with thick cream, yoghurt, sour cream or ice cream.