plum tart

Guys, I'm going to help you out here. I'm going to tell you how not to pick up a woman. First of all, the metro on a weekday morning is probably a poor choice. When a woman is getting off the train, don't cut diagonally in front of her when you approach. That makes it difficult and awkward for her to escape, especially if she's walking along a wall. When she tells you that she doesn't speak French and runs away, she is, in all likelihood, giving you the message that she's not interested.  The next course of action is absolutely not to follow her down the stairs to the other metro line, follow her all the way down the platform, and to surprise her by getting on the same car as her again. This is bad. Really. It's bad. Don't do it.

Of course, you might think it's okay to stand very close to her on the train and continue to talk to her in an environment where she literally cannot escape you. This goes for elevators too. In actuality, it is not okay. These are terrible places to approach women. In any case, when she is avoiding your questions and not asking you anything in return, she is not interested.  Please, please do not ask where she is going. She won't tell you. Also... when she gets off the train at her destination, please stay on it.

A much nicer way to woo a lady is with dessert. Of course, this does not work with total strangers, but I don't like strangers, so that's A-okay with me. I was lucky enough to be wooed with homemade creme brulée. Perhaps you could try using this lovely plum tart to impress your lady friend?

This tart was the perfect combination of sweet and, well... tart. The plums were nice and puckery!

plum tart
From Lucy Waverman's A Year in Lucy's Kitchen: Seasonable Recipes and Memorable Meals

crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup frozen or cold butter, grated

filling
4-6 red plums, depending on size, pitted and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
1/2 cup granulated sugar (next time I would try 1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the butter and incorporate until the texture resembles coarse meal. Press dough into a springform pan and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden).

Arrange your plums in a decorative pattern on top of your crust.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon, then dust the mixture over the plums evenly.

In a small bowl, mix together egg yolks and cream, then pour evenly over the plums.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until custard is golden and set. Plums should be soft. Run a knife gently along the edges of the pan to loosen the crust, then undo the springform pan. Serve with unsweetened whipped cream.