Seasonal fruit tart with exceptional cream cheese pastry

I’ve been very happy with the pastry recipe I’ve used for the last (heavens!!!) 20 years, one we used at Baker & Spice and Ottolenghi. As a result I only tried this out of curiosity and utmost faith both Yotam and Helen – and boy am I glad I did! The combination of the cream cheese and the cider vinegar add an incredible texture to the pastry. The genius addition of the amaretti crumble make it an ingredient I will now consider a staple in my storeroom and the free-handed-no-need- for -a-tart case makes it an absolute pleasure!

The selection of fruit is yours to experiment with and I’m looking forward to just that.

Please give it a go and let me know your thoughts.

INGREDIENTS 

For the cream cheese pastry:

• 120 grams unsalted butter, fridge-cold, cut into ¾ -inch/2-cm cubes
• 185 grams cake flour, plus extra for dusting
• ¼ teaspoons salt
• ⅛ teaspoons baking powder
• 85 grams cream cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons cream
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

For the filling:

• 55 grams Amaretti cookies
• 45 grams granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 230 grams plums, quartered
• 120 grams fresh blueberries
• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• Finely grated zest of 1 small orange
• ⅛ teaspoons salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 tablespoon demerara sugar

METHOD 

To make the cream cheese pastry: Cover the cubes of butter in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about an hour to freeze solid. Place the flour, salt, and baking powder in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for 30 minutes.

Tip the flour mixture into the bowl of a food processor and process for about 30 seconds to combine. Add the cream cheese and process for another 20 seconds, or until the mixture has the consistency of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the frozen butter cubes and pulse to form crumbs. They’ll be uneven in size—some the size of peas and some a bit larger—but that’s fine.

Add 2 tablespoon of the cream and the vinegar and pulse until the dough starts to hold together; add the remaining 1 tablespoon cream if the dough needs it. Tip onto a clean work surface and use your hands and knuckles to press the mixture until it holds together in one piece. Cover the pastry loosely in plastic wrap (or put it in the bag you used to chill the flour) and press to flatten it into a disk. Place in the fridge for 45 minutes (or up to 2 days).

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

To make the base and filling: Roughly crush the Amaretti cookies in a small bowl. Add the granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon and set aside.

Place plums, blueberries, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornflour, orange zest, and ⅛ teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Toss gently to combine and then set aside.

Remove the disk of pastry rom the fridge 10 minutes before you want to roll it, so that has been lightly dusted with flour. Roll out evenly into a large circle, about 15 inches wide and ⅛ inches thick. Trim edges to create a rough circle, then transfer it, along with the parchment paper (it is too soft to transfer alone), onto a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the base in a 10-inch circle over the middle of the pastry. Spoon the fruit filling on top of the crumbs and then carefully draw the pastry border up and over the fruit-filled centre of the galette exposed. If the pastry has become too soft or warm during the process, place the galette in the fridge to chill for up to 1 hour before baking.

To make the glaze: Beat the egg with the water in a bowl and brush all over the outside of the pastry, then sprinkle with the sugar.

Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, or until the galette is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack to cool before serving.