Looking for a fabulous dessert? You'll love this Italian Plum Shortbread Tart, with juicy plums, buttery shortbread crust, and streusel top!
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place all crust ingredients EXCEPT FOR EGG YOLKS in a large bowl (or processor). Cut COLD butter into flour mixture (w/ 2 forks or pastry blender) until butter is reduced to the size of peas. Add egg yolks; mix only until just combined. IMPORTANT- Measure out 1/4th of this mixture and set aside to sprinkle on top of the tart later. Pat remaining shortbread mixture very firmly onto bottom and sides of the tart pan. Set aside.
Wash/dry plums. Slice plums from top to bottom (½" thick, leaving skin ON), and remove seed. You should get about 4 slices per plum. In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced plums, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until well-coated. Pour plum filling into uncooked shortbread crust; distribute evenly to fill crust.
Evenly sprinkle fruit with the remaining crumb topping you set aside earlier. Completely cover the fruit. Once done, carefully place tart on a middle rack in preheated oven. TIP: Place a sheet of aluminum foil under the pan, in case of any drips during baking.
Bake at 400°F. for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F.. Continue baking for 25-30 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Remove tart from oven; transfer to wire rack. After tart has cooled to room temp., remove tart from pan (not necessary if using pie pan). To do this, place your hand firmly on the bottom metal disc,; press disc gently upward to release it from the sides of the tart pan.
Cut tart into 8 slices, and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Enjoy!
NOTE: I used about 25 Italian plums for this recipe. The total weight of 1¼ pounds was calculated after slicing and removing the pits.
Italian Plum Shortbread Tart https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/italian-plum-shortbread-tart/