Black Plum Tort

Prepare the dough: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cold butter

Use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs

Mix in the cold water until the dough comes together in a ball

Knead it lightly with your hands

Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap

Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch

Place the dough into a 9-inch springform pan and press it into the corners and up the sides

Mold the remaining dough into small balls

Press each ball against the side of the pan, overlapping them slightly

Crimp the edges to seal the tort

Poke holes in the top crust with a fork

Cover the tort with four overlapping sheets of aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes

Remove the foil and continue baking until golden brown (about 10 more minutes)

Let it cool completely before serving

For the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, cornstarch, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract

Whisk constantly over medium heat until thickened, about 4 minutes

Remove from heat and stir in any remaining ingredients

Let it cool to room temperature

Fruit the tort with the cooled filling

For the topping: In a small saucepan, melt the butter and flour over low heat, whisking constantly until smooth

Add the stale bread pieces and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed and the bread is toasted

Spread the topping evenly over the filled tort

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours

Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving

Remove the sides of the springform pan and transfer to a serving plate

Serve

320 calories per slice