Recipe - Hazelnut Crust Tart With A Sour Cream And Blueberry Topping

1 cup Whole natural hazelnuts;
about 5 ounces
1 One half cup Sugar
1 cup Allpurpose flour; (spoon
flour into
; cup and level off
; with the back of a
; knife)
10 tablespoon Unsalted butter; (1 1/4
sticks)
2 tablespoon Dark rum
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup Large egg whites; about 8
1 pn Salt
One fourth cup Sliced or chopped hazelnuts;
about 1ounce
Confectioners' sugar for
finishing

PLUM COMPOTE
2 pound Prune plums
1 cup Sugar
One half teaspoon Lemon juice
3 tablespoon Unsalted butter
One fourth cup Water
One fourth teaspoon Ground cinnamon

GARNISH
Creme Fraiche

One 10inch springform or layer pan, buttered and the bottom lined with a
disk of parchment or waxed paper, or 12 4inch individual pans, buttered.
Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Place the hazelnuts and Three fourths cup of the sugar in a food processor and pulse
until the mixture is finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the
flour.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking the
butter until it colors slightly, swirling the pan to color it evenly.
Remove from heat and add the rum and vanilla extract. Set aside to cool
slightly. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt until
they form a very soft peak. Add the remaining Three fourths cup sugar in a very slow
stream, whipping constantly. Continue whipping the egg whites until they
hold a soft peak. Alternately fold the hazelnut and butter mixtures into
the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Begin with the hazelnut mixture and end with
the butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan or pans. Smooth the top
and sprinkle with the cut or sliced up or chopped hazelnuts.

Bake the financier for about 50 minutes until well risen and golden, about
30 minutes for the individual cakes. The center of the cake should feel
firm when pressed with the palm of the hand.

Cool the financier briefly on a rack and remove pan and paper. If some of
the hazelnuts on the surface fall off, replace them on the cake. Dust very
lightly with confectioners' sugar.

For the compote, rinse, pit and quarter plums. Combine sugar and lemon
juice in a small pan and heat until sugar begins to melt. Stir occasionally
until sugar turns to a deep amber caramel. Add butter and water carefully
off heat to prevent splattering. Return to heat, bring to a boil and add
plums. Simmer a minute or two, add cinnamon and cool.

To serve, place a financier off center on a plate and spoon plum compote
next to it. Top with Creme Fraiche.

Converted by MC_Buster.

NOTES : This cake is made from an unusual batter where ground hazelnuts,
sugar and flour and a large quantity of brown butter are folded into egg
whites which have been beaten with sugar. Of course, the egg whites fall
and liquefy as the butter is folded in, but the financier rises well,
nonetheless. Makes one 10inch cake, about 12