The holidays are fast approaching, and Thanksgiving in America is first up next Thursday. I made this tart with holiday meals in mind. Holidays often come with a house full of guests staying several nights, and the need to plan several other meals, right? And because there's a lot of cooking and eating going on, we (or at least I) want these other meals to be enjoyable but also easy and on the lighter side. That's where this tart comes in. If you are looking for a simple, tasty and lighter, but still festive alternative or addition to your dessert offerings this year, look no further. This is delicious warm with ice cream, but the crust is sturdy enough that you could just as well grab a slice and eat it like pizza. Which makes it suitable for a casual come-and-go brunch or afternoon snack option as well. You take your pick, this is one versatile tart.

Persimmons are thinly sliced, mixed with ground cardamom and Muscovado sugar, then layered on a butter crust. The tart is popped in the oven for 20 minutes and then brushed with an apricot jam glaze to finish. The dough for the tart base is quickly whizzed up in the food processor and can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge. This is what I did and it kept very well. Or if you have access to a quality store-bought all-butter puff pastry, that would be nice here as well.

I will be back sooner than usual with a savory Thanksgiving offering, but in the meantime I hope you find a place for this tart in your holiday meal plans this year!

Rustic Persimmon Tart
Serves 6

2 ripe, fairly firm Fuyu (or Kaki) persimmons*
1 Tbsp. unrefined raw cane sugar (Muscovado)
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1 butter crust (recipe below)
1 Tbsp. butter (optional)
1 Tbsp. apricot jam + 1 tsp. warm water

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
Halve, and thinly slice persimmons lengthwise. Place in a medium mixing bowl with sugar and cardamom; toss well to combine and set aside.
Lightly flour your work surface with spelt flour. Dust the top of crust with flour and roll into approximately 8"x14" (20 x 38 cm) rectangle. Transfer crust to a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Give persimmons one last toss to make sure they're evenly coated with sugar and cardamom. Layer onto crust, overlapping slightly. Dot with butter, if desired. Bake for 20-30 minutes*, until edges of tart are lightly golden brown.
In a small bowl mix apricot jam with water. While tart is warm brush glaze over tart, and serve.

*See this persimmon primer if you missed it a few posts back. For this recipe you'll want persimmons that are firm but also give slightly under the pressure of your thumb; kind of what you look for when picking an avocado. Also a deeper orange/coral color ensures the persimmons will be ripe and sweet. My tart was done in 20 minutes because my oven cooks hot; adjust baking temperatures accordingly. .

Butter Crust
Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Notes: If you're pressed for time a quality all-butter puff pastry can be used instead. If it comes folded, leave it folded and roll out as is.

1 cup (148 g) light spelt flour
2 tsp. unrefined raw cane sugar (Muscovado)
1/8 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. (56.7 g) cold butter, diced
2 Tbsp. buttermilk
3-4 Tbsp. ice water

Add flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor; pulse once to combine.
Add butter and pulse 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add buttermilk and 3 Tbsp. water; process until just combined and dough sticks together when pressed between two fingers but does not stick to your fingers. Add last tablespoon of water only if needed for the dough to stick together.
Pour contents onto a sheet of plastic wrap, shape into a ball and pat down slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.