Upside Down Plum & Pear Cobbler Tart
Source: Dominic Franks, Upside Down Cooking
Recipe Type: Desserts | Seasons: Summer
This recipe appears in Upside Down Cooking by Dominic Franks and was demonstrated in the Foodwise Classroom on June 14, 2025.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
You will need a large baking tray, roughly 17 x 12 inches (43 x 30 centimeters), lined with baking parchment.
320g (11 oz) sheet of ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, roughly 35 x 23cm (14 x 9in), or use homemade
Drizzle of runny honey
4 Victoria plums, or other type of plum, stones removed, and cut into quarters
2 pears, cut into quarters and core removed (unpeeled)
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 egg, beaten
Vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
Cobbler Topping
100g (3½ oz) self-raising flour, sifted
50g (1¾ oz) ground almonds
50g (1¾ oz) cold lightly salted butter, cut into cubes
50g (1¾ oz) caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp whole milk
PREPARATION
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Remove the pastry from the fridge and set aside.
- First, make the cobbler topping. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips or beat with an electric hand whisk. It should have the consistency of a loose scone dough. Set aside.
- Mark out a large rectangle on the baking parchment the same size as the pastry and place it drawn-side down on the baking tray. Drizzle over a little honey.
- Leaving a 2cm (¾in) border, spoon the cobbler mixture on top of the drawn rectangle. I like to dollop the cobbler in a rough pattern, but you can place it in one neat layer, if you prefer. Lay the plums and pears on top of the cobbler dough in a random way, squishing some into the cobbler. Sprinkle the fennel seeds evenly over the top.
- Roll out the shortcrust pastry and lay it over the fruit and cobbler. Using the back of a fork, press indentations around the edge of the pastry to seal. Score the top in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife and then brush with egg.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is wonderfully golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow the tart to sit on the tray for 5 minutes. Lay a piece of baking parchment on top, followed by a chopping board or plate, and carefully flip the tart over. Peel off the backing paper. Serve the tart with vanilla ice cream, if you like.
