Quetschentaart

About This Recipe

Quetschentaart (plum tart) is the quintessential autumn dessert of Luxembourg, timed perfectly to the harvest of the Quetsch plum — a small, elongated, deep-purple variety that is the pride of Luxembourg's orchards, particularly in the south of the country. The tart consists of a buttery, slightly crumbly shortcrust shell filled tightly with halved plums arranged in overlapping concentric circles, then dusted with cinnamon sugar and baked until the plums collapse into a jammy, intensely flavored filling. It is Luxembourg's equivalent of France's tarte aux prunes and Germany's Zwetschgenkuchen — visually simple, deeply satisfying, and the smell of autumn kitchens across the Grand Duchy.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 250 gall-purpose flour
• 125 gcold butter, cubed
• 80 gicing sugar
• 1 largeegg yolk
• 2 tbspcold water
• 1 pinchsalt
• 900 gQuetsch plums (or Italian prune plums), halved and stoned
• 60 gcaster sugar (for the plums)
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 2 tbspground almonds or fine breadcrumbs (for base)
• 1 tbspicing sugar (for dusting, after baking)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pastry

   Pulse flour, icing sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and cold water and pulse until the dough just comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Line the tart tin

   Preheat oven to 190 °C. Roll the pastry out on a floured surface to 3 mm thickness. Line a 28 cm loose-bottomed tart tin, pressing gently into the edges. Trim excess. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Blind bake

   Line the pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes. Remove beans and paper and bake for a further 5 minutes until the base is pale golden.

4. 4

   Add plums

   Sprinkle ground almonds or breadcrumbs over the pastry base to absorb juice. Arrange plum halves cut-side up in tight overlapping circles, starting from the outside. Sprinkle evenly with caster sugar and cinnamon.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake at 190 °C for 35–40 minutes until the plums are soft, jammy, and beginning to caramelize at the edges and the pastry is golden.

6. 6

   Cool and dust

   Cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Variations

• •

  Add a frangipane layer (almond cream) under the plums for a richer tart.

• •

  Replace cinnamon with a pinch of star anise for an anise-scented version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days. Best served at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions