Sunday, September 12, 2010

A Tale of Two Tortes: Brown Sugar Fig & Lemon Plum

plum torte
a slice of plum torte
fig torte
If you were to look over some of my recent posts - gooseberry tartlets, sour cherry compote, lavender drop scones - you might begin to doubt the truth of my past claims that I'm not generally the biggest fan of dessert.  While it remains true that I don't eat much of it, I have been on something of a sweets-making bender lately. I suppose it's because baking is so therapeutic - it forces you to slow down and only think about what you're doing, not about the million-and-one other tasks clamoring to be finished (or begun).

I think these tortes are perfect both for those of you with a voracious sweet tooth and for those of us who feel a little goes a long way. They're not cloying or overly sweet; in fact, much of the sweetness is provided by the fruit. A little slice with a cup of morning coffee or tea is just the thing.  Technically, I suppose these would more properly be called "cakes" rather than "tortes," as I used flour and not ground nuts, but thanks to the presence of fruit - and because I just thought torte sounded more fun!- I decided to go with it.

For the plum torte, I based my recipe - with some tweaks and substitutions - on the so-called "Original Plum Torte" recipe which ran in the New York Times in 1992.  I went in a slightly different direction with the ingredients for my fig version, but the technique remains the same.  A word on the plums: You don't want to use really sweet  juicy ones, as they'll make the batter too wet. Instead, go with Italian plums, also known as prune plums:
Aren't they cute?
For the plum torte, you'll need:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp almond extract
a pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
24 plum halves, pitted

For the topping:
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp spicy Saigon cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1 Tbsp lemon zest

For the fig torte, make the following substitutions and additions:
Use 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup dark brown sugar rather than 3/4 cup regular sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract rather than almond
1 Tbsp honey in addition to the sugar
Of course - rather than plums, use figs!
And for the topping, omit the cinnamon and double the vanilla, and rather than use lemon zest, use 1 Tbsp limoncello liqueur

The method  is the same for either torte. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. Slowly add in the flour until incorporated, and add all of your other ingredients except the fruit and the toppings. The batter is going to be very thick. Spread it evenly into a tart pan:

Add your plums:

Or your figs:

Mix together the topping ingredients (except the limoncello for the fig torte; you'll drizzle that on after you've sprinkled the dry ingredients on the torte) and sprinkle it evenly over top:
Pop it into a 350 degree (F) oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until it sets and a toothpick comes out clean. I know that you're usually supposed to wait until these sorts of things cool before you dig in, but I thought these babies tasted best while still warm.  (If you were wondering why there aren't as many photos of the fig torte, well, let's just say it was a victim of its own warm deliciousness.) As for choosing my favorite  ...  deciding between the slightly tart yet lemony-sweet plum or the vaguely spicy (thanks to the buckwheat honey I used) and moist fig would probably depend on my mood. By all means, make them both and tell me what you think.

Enjoy!
fig cross section
luscious plums





36 comments:

  1. oh my gosh youre killing me.
    that looks AH-MAZE-ING!!!!!

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  2. They are both beyond wonderful...My kind of sweets :)

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  3. They are both beautiful, I would have a hard time choosing which piece to have so I would probably have to have one of each :o)

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  4. Such a cool picture...love the background really amazing recipe~

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  5. My mind must be addled by torte lust because I think the figgy one is sticking its tongue out at me?!?!? ;)

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  6. I can see doing both for a party but I am so partial to figs... lovely lovely figs. I can see ice cream melting over the warm tart... bliss.

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  7. I am not a lover of desserts but these are tantalizing enough for me to give them a shot.

    Two thumbs up!

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  8. I love both of them. Would be so good with a cup of tea.....yum. I have been baking more lately. Agree with you....therapeutic! :D It adds bigger smiles on my face....haha

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  9. See, I can never figure out why people always gush about figs ... cos the one time I bought figs (which cost and arm and a leg in Singapore), they turned out bland at best. So, I am seriously wishing I could get a bite of your Fig Torte, cos I KNOW you will change my mind. ;) Also, thanks for the tip on what type of plums to use! I'd have zoomed in on the sweet, juicy ones and ended up with soggy batter (and then wonder why people gush about Plum Torte!!!) Great work, Trix! Love anything you make.

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  10. I am so making this! It looks so yum! What is the size of your tart tin?

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  11. They look gorgeous Trix! It's funny, I only seem to find green figs here...

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  12. I think I would have to make both in order to judge, but I know both are delicious. Great photos. Miss fresh figs, no one around here shares any and rare do you see them in stores....:-(

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  13. These are WILD! They contain two of my most favorite fruits, and I'm beside myself with excitement looking at these tortes.. Wish I can find fresh figs in my part of the world, though. :-(

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  14. Bring on fig season is all I can say! Awesome recipe. I look forward to warm deliciousness of my own soon! I hope!

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  15. Love the tortes. I had a bucket of Italian plums last week but my creative outlet fell short. Wish I had them still to do this recipe. Oh, and the lovey figs...I got a recipe coming up with them too soon!

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  16. They both look lovely! I adore that photo of the hand held plumb.

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  17. oh how lovely. i love the flavours of brown sugar with these fruit. yum!

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  18. Oh Trix,

    How can you tease me so in the morning? It's not even 7am and I want a slice of both ;-) Gorgeous pictures too!

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  19. So pretty and delicious looking, Trix. Plus, it's so nice that you used wheat pastry flour and fresh fruit-there's nothing like a dessert with redeeming qualities!

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  20. Holy Moses! Congrats on the Number 1 spot!!

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  21. beautiful - like the whole wheat pastry on this recipe...figs, plums and a cinnamon topping!
    perfect in every way!

    congrats!

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  22. This really looks amazing and I'm sure it tastes as good as it looks. I am new to your blog but will be back often. I love the food and recipes you feature here. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  23. Just had to add.. made the plum and it was soooo good.. thanks for the great recipe, Trix!

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  24. So much deliciousness in one blog post! Thanks for the recipes.

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  25. Beautiful tortes, they both turned my head, wonderful post:)

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  26. These tortes are seriously perfect! Nice photos too.

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  27. I'll have a slice of each. Please and thank you.

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  28. Oh how lovely and irresistible those tarts are! I love their texture and they look really delicious. I have seen figs all over since fall is coming but I am still using peaches, I am hanging on to summer fruits even if are becoming mushy. Great job! I can see the baker in you after the baking classes!

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  29. Have to say that I am not a dessert person either but you really are empting me with those plums! Your baking skills just get better and better!

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  30. Wow, both the fig and the plum tortes look amazing! Wonderful desserts!

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  31. These are sooo perfect for the season. Every day on my way to anf from work I pass a gorgeous fruit and veg stall outside Euston station, and it is brimming with figs. I've been so tempted to buy a whole load of them but wasn't sure what to make. I'm going to buy a whole bag full on my way home now... :) Beautiful desserts!

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  32. Love the recipes. Love the backgrounds. Bought figs for the first time this week and had them in yogurt. Wasn't enthralled....baking is next on my list. Both of them look so so so gorgeous!

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  33. These cakes looks so luscious! I love it when dessert recipes feature fresh fruits. Both versions look great, I have a personal bias toward jammy figs. This looks like a wonderful recipe to prepare them.

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  34. Looks delish! What size tart pan?

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  35. Lovely :). We are baking this plum tart today :)

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