TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Tarte aux MirabellesLorraine Mirabelle Plum Tart
A tart of mirabelles, the small golden plums of Lorraine. Fruit is arranged on pâte brisée and baked first, then an egg and crème fraîche custard is added for a second bake. Careful judgment of doneness prevents the fruit’s moisture from making the custard watery. It brightens Lorraine tables during the August–September harvest.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Cake flourFor the pâte brisée shortcrust.150 g
- Cold unsalted butter for the pastryFor the pâte brisée. Use cold, cut into 1 cm cubes.75 g
- Cold waterFor bringing the dough together. Refrigerate beforehand.45 ml
- SaltFor the pastry.1 pinch
- Mirabelle plumsWash, halve and remove the stones.600 g
- Caster sugar for the fruit30 g
- EggsFor the custard.2 pieces
- Thick crème fraîcheFor the custard.150 g
- Caster sugar for the custard40 g
Method
Make the pâte brisée
- 1 Mix 150 g flour and 1 pinch of salt in a bowl.
- 2 Add 75 g cold butter cut into 1 cm cubes and quickly rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture forms yellowish crumbs.
- 3 Drizzle in 45 ml cold water and press together without kneading. Continue once no dry flour remains and the dough holds together.
Rest the dough
- 1 Flatten into a disc, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Stone the mirabelles
- 1 MeanwhileWhile the dough rests, wash 600 g mirabelles, halve and remove their stones.
- 2 Begin preheating the oven to 190°C.
Line the tin
- 1 On a floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 24 cm across and 3 mm thick, then line the tart tin.
- 2 Prick the base with a fork and trim the excess dough at the rim.
Arrange the fruit and sugar
- 1 Arrange the mirabelles cut-side up without gaps and sprinkle evenly with the 30 g sugar for the fruit.
Bake the fruit-filled shell
- 1 Bake at 190°C for 15 minutes.
Ready when
Continue once the pastry edges begin to colour lightly.
Make the custard
- 1 Mix 2 eggs, the 40 g sugar for the custard and 150 g crème fraîche thoroughly in a bowl until smooth.
Add the custard
- 1 Remove the tin from the oven and gently pour the custard over the mirabelles.
Bake until set
- 1 Return to the oven at 190°C and bake for 25 minutes.
Ready when
It is cooked when gently shaking the tin no longer makes the centre ripple like liquid.
Caution
The custard should be fully set and lightly coloured on top.
Cool the tart
- 1 Let the initial heat subside in the tin.
- 2 Serve at room temperature or chilled.
About this dish
Lorraine in northeastern France is known for producing more than 70% of the mirabelles grown in the country. These small, thin-skinned golden plums colour the region’s markets and garden farm stalls from August into September.
With a brief season and short shelf life, mirabelles are often processed close to where they are harvested. Beyond tarts, they become jam and eau-de-vie, a distilled spirit, and are deeply rooted in the region’s food culture.
The two-stage method—baking the fruit on pâte brisée, then adding an egg and crème fraîche custard and baking again—has been handed down as a dessert ending Sunday farmhouse lunches. Today it represents Lorraine’s pastry tradition and appears in bakery windows during harvest time.
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