Plum Tart (Luxembourgish Quetschentaart)

Quetschentaart is one of the classics of Luxembourgish baking. The simple fruit tart is a traditional autumn treat, and you’ll find it at bakeries across the country at this time of year. Plum tart is made with "Quetschen", which translates into plum, but it’s not really exactly the same. Most of you will probably think of a plum as a round, dark reddish fruit, with a little round stone in the middle. While that's perfectly correct, it’s not quite what they have in Luxembourg. Luxembourgish plums have a slightly elongated shape, they’re darker, almost deep purple, and they have a long, thin stone. They are what the British call damson plums. Luxembourg cuisine reflects its position on the border between the Latin and Germanic worlds, being heavily influenced by the cuisines of neighboring France and Germany. More recently, it has been enriched by its many Italian and Portuguese immigrants. Most native Luxembourg dishes, consumed as the traditional daily fare, share roots in the country’s folk dishes the same as in neighboring Germany. Quetschentaart almost certainly originated in Germany, but it is now considered a national dish of Luxembourg. It is a simple dessert, but profoundly delicious. It remains a very popular Luxembourg speciality, and is an open fruit tart made with zwetschgen or damson plums. Traditionally, it is a seasonal dish served in the autumn after the local plums have ripened in September. Today, Luxembourgish damson tart is almost always made with a yeast dough. However, the most traditional Luxembourgish cookery book "Ketty Tull", specifies a shortcrust pastry.

butter (125 g)
sugar (50 g)
1 egg
all-purpose flour, unbleached (250 g)
1 pinch kosher salt
1 lb Damson plums (500 g)
2 Tbsp. powdered vanilla sugar

Prepare the dough: beat the butter with the sugar, then add the egg and beat until fluffy.

Sift in the flour and salt and quickly knead into a firm dough. Wrap in cling film and put into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the fan oven to 400°F (200°C).

Wash the damsons, halve, remove the stone and cut each into six wedges.

Roll out the dough and put into a 23cm (9") buttered tart tin.

Arrange the plum slices in circles on the tart base.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the base seems not too soggy anymore (it will always remain slightly soggy because of the plum juice that oozes from the fruit).

Dust with vanilla sugar and serve with whipped cream.