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DE GUSTIBUS

DE GUSTIBUS; Once More (Sigh), The Plum Torte

DE GUSTIBUS; Once More (Sigh), The Plum Torte
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September 13, 1989, Section C, Page 14Buy Reprints
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FOR the last six years the plum torte column, written in response to repeated demands for the recipe, has heralded the end of summer.

It is beyond understanding why fans of the recipe do not just save it from year to year, instead of depending on its appearance in this column. Yet, one of this year's requests read, ''Isn't it about time for the plum torte recipe?'' How can readers be certain it will be repeated? One anxious plum torte baker called and said, ''Are you going to print the plum torte recipe?''

When I told her there was some resistance to publishing it a sixth time, she said: ''I can get the 12 people in my office to write in and request it.''

To appease those who have said, ''Enough already!'' I have done some tinkering with the original recipe, reducing the amount of sugar slightly and creating a version that will be good later in the fall and most of the winter, when the plums have disappeared.

The fall-winter version calls for apples and fresh cranberries, and those who have tried it have found it as good as the versions with purple plums or blueberries.

I have been told that other varieties of plums work equally well and that the torte is also superb with peaches. If you use a juicy fruit like peaches, you may want to sprinkle a bit of flour over the fruit before putting the rest of the topping on. This is a very moist torte, different from other tortes and kuchens. The fruit adds moisture, which, because there is so little batter, permeates the torte.

Those who clipped the recipe from the paper last summer, when there was an error in the ingredients, should discard it, laminate this one and, instead of filing it with your other recipes, tack it on the inside of the cupboard where you keep the flour. This could really be the last year the recipe is reprinted. Really!

Hoping to forestall the occasional question by bakers who wonder if something was done incorrectly because the plums sank to the bottom, the answer is: the plums are supposed to sink to the bottom.

If you want to make more than one torte, putting several away for cold, snowy days, and you have only one spring form, there are several alternatives: line the spring form with heavy-duty aluminum foil so the torte can be lifted out when it has cooled; use other baking pans, like an eight-inch-square brownie pan, or if you double the recipe, a pan 10 inches by 15 inches. Line them with aluminum foil so the torte can be removed when it has cooled.

To freeze, double wrap the tortes in foil, place in a plastic bag and seal. Plum Torte (Or Apple-Cranberry Torte) 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch salt (optional) 2 eggs 24 halves pitted purple plums Sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon for topping.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs, and beat well.

3. Spoon the batter into a spring form of eight, nine or 10 inches. Place the plum halves, skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon joice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.

4. Bake one hour. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream.

5. To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.

Yield: 8 servings.

VARIATION: To make an apple-cranberry torte, follow directions for plum torte but peel, seed, quarter and slice two or three large baking apples. Arrange 1/2 cup of raw cranberries over the batter and top with the apple slices. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon; squeeze 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the apples. Sprinkle with sugar.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section C, Page 14 of the National edition with the headline: DE GUSTIBUS; Once More (Sigh), The Plum Torte. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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