Not-Too-Sweet Caramelized Plum Tartlets

When planning what to bring for Easter dinner this Sunday, I figured I’d try out a new recipe (from Smitten Kitchen, of course). I thought these plum tartlets were perfect for the occasion! The firm-ripe plums were just the right amount of tart, while the glaze added a touch of sweetness. Overall this recipe is super easy to make and was a total hit at our casual Easter get-together. Check out the step-by-step recipe below, so you can make them for your next gathering!

Ingredients:

4 firm-ripe red plums, pitted and very thinly sliced
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 pinches of sea salt
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

Directions:

Prepare the plums. In a medium bowl, toss the plum slices with the sugar and let them macerate together for 30 minutes or so. You’ll know they’re ready when the slices should be soft and a puddle of juices will form at the bottom of the bowl. Set a strainer over a small saucepan and strain the plums, collecting the juices in the pan. It doesn’t really matter how much you have as long as it coats the bottom of the saucepan – I had about 4 tablespoons.

Make the glaze. Heat the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the juices to a simmer. Continue to cook, stirring until they reduce to a thick syrup. You’re ready to move on to the next step when you run a spoon along the bottom quickly and it leaves a clean path. Next, add the butter and sea salt. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook the mixture until thickened, but still syrupy (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare the pastry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once your pastry has thawed according to the package instructions, cut into nine two-inch squares. Place the squares on a parchment-lined baking sheet and dock them (a.k.a. poke holes) all over with a fork. Divide the plum slices between the tartlets, arranging them in overlapping lines or like flower petals, whichever you prefer.

To finish… Bake the tartlets for 12-14 minutes, until lightly golden. While they bake, if the caramelized glaze has set, briefly warm on the stove to loosen it up again. Brush the glaze over the whole tartlet (fruit + exposed crust), trying not to move the fruit out of place. Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes more until the tartlets are bronzed and shiny. Let them cool on a cooling rack and eat warm or at room temp.

Notes:

Don’t worry if your plum slices aren’t perfectly evenly cut – it will still cook properly
The original recipe instructs cutting the puff pastry into six four-inch squares – I wanted to be able to serve more, so I adjusted to nine two-inch squares and they came out just fine!
When reheating the glaze because it had set, I poured in the additional juices that had settled to the bottom of the bowl while I was originally making the glaze; this helped add more flavor
If you don’t have a sauce brush, you can also spoon the glaze onto the tartlets during that finishing step