Plum Pistachio Marzipan Tart

As summer ends and fall begins here in Germany, one thing is on my family’s mind. Plum tarts. Not just any plum tart, a German plum tart. We have a few Damson plum trees here on the property. Consequently, the harvest calls for making Fla. This is what traditional plum tarts are called in this region. My mother-in-law taught me how to make the traditional version. I’ve already cranked out two. However, it was time for a diversion. Two of my favorite ingredients made it into this Plum Pistachio Marzipan Tart. I improvised, and the result is fantastic.

Traditional German Plum Tart

Admittedly, it is so cute the way the plums are cut on the traditional versions. They stand up at attention and bring the pretty to the table. Also, the recipe has far less sugar than most United States tart recipes. I’ve satisfied my family’s plum tart itch. The two tarts barely made a day each on the table before being consumed. It was time to turn my attention to creating this Plum Pistachio Marzipan Tart.

Maybe it is the austerity of ingredients in the traditional  German plum tart; maybe it’s just me being extra. Consequently, in addition to the pistachios and marzipan, I added plum jam and pistachio cream. I know.  So sue me.

Streusel crust

Instead of a traditional pie or tart crust, I used streusel on the floor and the roof of this Plum Pistachio Marzipan Tart. I have said it 1,000 times: streusel makes the easiest and most delicious base for any tart. For this version, I added crushed pistachios to the astreusel mix. Make the streusel first. Then chill for at least 30 minutes. Press about 2/3 of the streusel mixture into a greased and floured tart pan. I am a big fan, by the way, of the pans with removable bottoms. I mean, what did bakers do before these were invented:

Toss sliced plums, marzipan pieces, and chopped pistachios in plum jam. Spread it out into the shell. Now here’s where the “extra” comes in. Dot little blobs of pistachio cream evenly over the plum mixture. Ok, this is totally optional, but it adds that additional sepcial pop of flavor to the dessert.  Then cover the tart by sprinkling the rest of the streusel over it. I had some crushed pistachios left over, so I sprinkled them over the streusel top.

Bake, cut, and serve. Now you have yourself a gorgeous fall tart perfect for any weekend baking, early fall barbecue, or dinner party.  So go forth and grab those Damson plums at the super or farmer’s market.

Print

Plum Pistachio Marzipan Tart

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Keyword fall tarts, Marzipan Tart, Plum Pistachio Tart, Plum Streusel Tart, Plum Tart, streusel tart

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Chill Time: 30 minutes

Servings 8

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

For the streusel:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup ground raw unsalted pistachios
• 1+ 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Eggs

For the Tart:

• 3 cups chopped Prune or Damson plums
• 1 cup raw unsalted shelled pistachios
• 1 cup chopped marzipan
• 1/3 cup plum jam
• 1/3 cup pistachio cream
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Instructions

Make the streusel:

1. Cut the butter into small pieces
2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground pistachios, sugar, and salt.
3. Knead in the butter.
4. Beat the eggs and knead them in.
5. Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Make the Tart:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Grease and flour an 11″ round tart pan. A tart pan with a lift-off bottom is best.
3. Pit the plums and chop into small pieces.
4. Roughly chop the pistachios into pieces.
5. Chop the marzipan into small pieces.
6. Mix the chopped plums, marzipan, pistachios, and plum jam in a bowl.
7. Remove the crust from the refrigerator.
8. Separate 2/3 of the mixture and press it into the pan to create the crust.
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the bottom of the shell.
10. Spread the plum/marzipan/pistachios mixture into the shell.
11. Use a teaspoon to distribute small blobs of the pistachio cream over the mixture.
12. Distribute the remaining pistachio streusel evenly over the top.
13. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top starts to turn golden brown
14. Let cool for 10 minutes.
15. Remove the tart from the pan, transfer to a plate, cut, and serve.

So, do you like this Plum Pistachio Marzipan Tart? Then, also check out some of these other delicious recipes:

PEANUT CARAMEL PLUM CAKE

MINI APPLE TARTS IN A CINNAMON CRUST

PLUM STREUSEL ICE CREAM