Jono Fleming explores more of his family food heritage with a traditional German tart, perfect for Autumn's plentiful plums.

I've written recently about my culture and heritage of my mother's Taiwanese family, and being taught recipes that have been handed down through generations. But as much as I was brought up on Taiwanese food, my grandparents on my dad's side came to Australia from Germany, so I was also raised on hearty, European meals. This recipe is a traditional shortcrust tart from Bavaria - known there as zwetschgenkuchen - that my grandma taught me when I was really young.  It's a ridiculously simple recipe and extremely appropriate for Autumn weather. The plums aren't overly sweet but, when cooked, stew to make a delicious seasonal flavour.

Ingredients
250g self raising flour
150g chilled butter, cubed
70g sugar
1 egg
2-3 plums
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
extra sugar to sprinkle on top

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 210°C.

Sift the flour into a bowl and mix in the butter by hand. Mix together with your fingers, breaking the butter down until it forms a consistency of a crumb. Add the sugar and the egg and mix well until a dough forms. Place the dough on a floured countertop and roll it into a ball, don't over knead the dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.

Once the dough has chilled, roll it out to a baking tray and cut the plums into slices. Arrange the plums on the dough, and push them in slightly. Sprinkle the almond flakes on top and dust with some extra sugar.

Bake for 30-40 minutes (or until the crust is golden) and allow the tart to cool before serving.