Simple Plum Tart with Puff Pastry

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half a 0.5 kg package), thawed
• Flour for dusting
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds
• 3/4 cup sugar + a little for sprinkling
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 kg large plums, halved and pitted
• 6 tbsp (90 g) butter, diced
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half and scrape out the seeds
• Vanilla ice cream for serving

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the dough sheet on a floured work surface and cut in half. Sprinkle one half with almonds and a little sugar. Top with the other half of the dough. Press the two halves together with a rolling pin, rolling them out into a 15 x 35 cm rectangle. Make a 2.5 cm border around the edge by lightly scoring the dough. Prick the dough in the middle with a fork and make small slits with a knife. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with water. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and lemon juice. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar melts. Then remove the lid from the saucepan and simmer the syrup, shaking the pan, for about 5 minutes, until it turns amber. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the plums, 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter, and the vanilla bean with the seeds removed. Simmer over low heat, shaking the pan, until the plums are softened and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Then add 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter and shake the pan again.
3. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Top with plums and half the sauce. Serve with ice cream and the remaining sauce in a separate bowl.