fig crostata plum recipe
We only spent a few days in Anderson Valley, but an overbearing fig and Santa Rosa plum tree bursting with ripe fruit made for the perfect excuse to bake not one, but two Indian summer fruit tarts. The crust for both tarts was based on Elizabeth Minchilli's infallible shortcrust {no long kneading, no chilling, no rolling pin!}, a recipe that has become a dessert staple around our kitchen since the first cherry crostata earlier this summer - so here's to sharing it again ... 
the ingredients.
1 ½ cup flour {190 gram}
7 tablespoons butter {100 gram}
2 egg yolks
½ cup sugar {100 gram}
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350ºF {180ºC}.Place the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center of the mound: add butter cubes, sugar, salt and the egg yolks in the dent. Mix the wet ingredients with your fingers, gently mushing it all together, eventually working in the rest of the flour. Just use your hands and give it a few good shoves with the heel of your hand to work it all together.
Grease a 9" tart pan generously with butter. Place the dough in the pan, slowly spreading it out with the heel of your hand and pressing up against the sides of the pan - et voila, you have a base waiting to get layered ...
Slice the fruit of your choice and spread layers of fruit evenly on the crust.
Let crostata cool to room temperature and serve.
Here's to the last tastes of {Indian} summer!
