For the pastry:
225g plain flour
Pinch salt
150g butter, softened
25g ground almonds
1 egg yolk
For the filling:
75g butter
75g Demerara sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g ground almonds
25g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg white
450g ripe plums, halved and stoned
To serve:
2 tbsp clear honey
Custard, cream or yoghurt

1. Make the pastry - sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the almonds and the egg yolk.

2. Lightly knead the dough then wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 220C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

3. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the base and sides of a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin. Rest for 10 minutes.

4. Line with baking parchment and baking beans and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, remove the paper and beans and cook for a further 10 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

5. Cream the butter with the sugar and cinnamon, stir in the almonds and flour. Whisk the egg white until it forms soft peaks and fold into the mixture.

6. Spoon over the pastry, arrange the plums over the top and bake for 25-30 minutes until the filling is well-risen and golden brown.

7. Brush over the honey and serve hot or warm with custard, cream or yoghurt.

Tip:

Don't over whip the egg white for the topping, as it will be too stiff to fold into the other ingredients.

Food Features rating: Very Early Season!