Tasty Little Plum Tartlets

Every year I make a lovely Plum tart using the beautiful fruit from the Plum Trees planted all those years ago by the Sisters of Mercy when they founded Villa Maria College. I have no idea of the variety; only that it's old and the fruit is a deep purple colour all the way through. In previous years I have made a family sized tart, but this year I decided on some cute little tartlets instead. 

Little Plum Tartlets

Pastry:
300g plain flour
200g butter
100g caster sugar
4 tablespoons cold water

Using a food processor, blend the flour, butter and sugar until they resemble crumbs. 

With the motor of the processor running, add the cold water a tablespoon at a time until a ball of dough starts to form. 
Take from the process, press into a ball, wrap in plastic food wrap and chill for half an hour at least. 







For the tarts:
18 medium sized red fleshed plums
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat the oven to 180deg. C

Wash, halve and remove the stones from the plums. 

Cut the chilled pastry in half. Roll out the pastry half between two sheets of baking paper until it is about 4 to 5mm thick. 

Turn the pastry onto a floured surface and cut out 7cm fluted rounds using a pastry cutter. 

Place these into greased muffin pans. You should have about 36 rounds. 

Blend the extra flour, sugar and allspice. Place a half teaspoon of this flour mix into the bottom of each pastry case. 







Now place a plum half into each one. 

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the plum bubbly. 

While still warm gently remove from the muffin tins and cool on a wire rake. 
The tarts will soften on standing, and are best served promptly dusted with icing sugar. 

If you don't want to make so many, just halve the number of plums and pop half the pastry into the freezer for later.