pluot cobbler tart

people think tarts are so fancy, so european.  but in reality, all you need to make one is the pan.  the crust that you press into it isn’t far off from that of a pie and the filling is much simpler – just dice up fresh fruit, arrange it in concentric circles and voilà!  you have yourself a certified fancy dessert

and like the pizza i made a few weeks ago, this treat just happens to be gluten-free.  i used ground cashews and oats for the crust, which got crispy on the edges, but left the center gooey and cobbler-like.

this is the perfect dessert to end a lovely summer meal.  use whatever fruit is seasonal, it would be great with any stone fruit, cherries, blueberries, apples or pears!

pluot cobbler tart
1 c oats
1 c cashews
1/2 c vegan margarine
1/2 c + 1/4 c sugar
1/4 c cold soy milk
about 4 medium-sized pluots (or as many will cover the tart)

begin by making the crust.  put the cup of oats in the blender and pulse until a fine powder.  empty the blender into a large bowl, then blend the cashews.  don’t worry about these getting as fine, there will be little chunks left.

mix the oat mixture with the cashew and the 1/2 cup sugar in the large bowl.

cut in the vegan margarine with a fork until combined.  don’t worry about chunks, they will melt into buttery goodness when you bake it.  pour in the cold soy milk and mix all together into a loose ball of dough.

it’s easier to work with the dough if you pop it in the freezer for a minute or two to firm up.  grease your tart pan and hands well, if you don’t have a tart pan then you can use a pie pan. press the crust in, making sure it is evenly distributed and comes up a little on the sides.  if it sticks to your hands just grease them a bit more.

this dough is a little stickier than your average pie or tart crust, the little extra liquid lets it get slightly gooey in the middle.

leave the crust in the refrigerator while you are cutting up the fruit.  it took me about 4 medium-sized pluots to cover the whole thing, which is roughly a pound.

pluots are one of my favorite fruits, and this variety is one of my absolute favorites.  i believe it’s called a flavor grenade.  they are green and red on the outside with mostly yellow flesh.  they are firm, but very juicy and flavorful.  they were particularly easy to cut and had small pits that popped right out.

cut the pluots in half, remove the seed, then cut it in even wedges no more than half an inch wide.

once all the fruit is prepped take the crust out of the fridge and begin laying the fruit out in whichever design you prefer.  i find concentric, slightly overlapping circlers works the best.  then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.

bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes.  keep an eye on it until it has toasted to your liking. the edges should pull away from the pan.

let it sit a few minutes before cutting, but this is served best still warm so heat it up a little if you aren’t serving it immediately.  it will be like a thin, crunchy slice of pluot cobbler heaven in your mouth.

enjoy these summer treats while you still can, this variety won’t be available much longer!

yields about 6-8 servings