Plum and Marzipan Tarte Tatin

1. You will need a 23cm (9in) round, fixed-base cake tin, at least 5cm (2in) deep. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7.

2. Sprinkle the sugar over the base of the tin in an even layer. Arrange the plums on top of the sugar, cut-side down.

3. Roll out the marzipan to a round slightly smaller than the tin and place on top of the plums.

4. Roll out the pastry just a little bit bigger so that it is the width of the cake tin. Place the cake tin on top of the pastry. Using the tin as a guide, cut around the tin to make a circle, then lay the pastry over the plums and tuck the edges of the pastry down around the fruit. Make a small cross in the top of the pastry to let the steam escape during baking.

5. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden and the plums are tender. Loosen the edges of the tarte then turn out on to a plate and serve

Mary’s Wise Words – If you have small plums, you might need to use a few more to cover the tarte. If your plums are very ripe you will get lots more juice, so tip the juices into a pan and boil rapidly, before pouring over the turned out tarte. Don’t be tempted to use a loose-bottomed cake tin or a springform tin or you will lose all the juices. It is a good idea to bake the tarte on a baking tray in case the juices bubble over the top of the tin.