Cakes and Pastries Recipes - Damson Plum Tartlets with Clove Cream Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4:

• 10 oz crystal sugar

• 3 glasses red Gaillac

• 2 1/4 lb damson plums

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 10 oz puff pastry dough (refer recipe)

• 1 tbsp flour

• 3 oz confectioners' sugar

Clove cream:

• 1 cup milk

• 10 cloves

• 2 1/2 oz sugar

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 2 eggs           

• 1 tbsp heavy crème fraiche

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Method:

1. Prepare the clove cream (refer recipe).

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Combine 7 1/4 oz (200g) of sugar and 2 glasses of Gaillac in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture turns to caramel. Distribute the caramel into four 3 1/3 inch (8 cm) pans.

3. Halve the damson plums and remove the stones; sprinkle them with lemon juice and place them on a baking sheet. Add the remaining sugar and wine.

4. Bake for 6 - 7 min, until the plums lose a good part of their water. Drain them, keeping the juice, and arrange in concentric circles on the pan, baking for another 15 min.

5. Reduce the plum juice by half. Set aside. 5. Roll out the dough on a floured countertop. Cut out 4 circles that are 4 2/3 inch (12 cm) in diameter. Arrange these in between two baking sheets, increase the oven temperature to 390°F/200°C, and bake for 10 min. Lower the temperature to about 330°F/170°C and continue cooking for another 10 min.

6. Shape the dough trimmings into balls. Dust a countertop with confectioners' sugar, and roll out the dough to 1/24 inch (1 mm) thick. Cut out 4 discs for forming fans. Place the discs between two baking sheets and bake at 390°F/200°C for 6 - 7 min.

7. Cover each pastry disc with 1 tablespoon of clove cream. Decorate with damson plums end decorate with a disc.