When this season I saw another article on the Russian-language Internet with the title “Plum Pie from The New York Times”... I realized that I also had to say something about this, or even better, explain how it is there it really was, because I always try to find out information first-hand. Moreover. The first mention of this recipe in this newspaper was on September 21(hereinafter I will refer to the name of the newspaper as NT).
In my article I will give real references to the NT and a real, original recipe for this baking (and not even one, since it has official variations).
I baked THIS several times: with different plums and other fruits, with and without cinnamon, with different amounts of sugar, incl. in the form of sprinkles, with vanilla extract and almond, with white flour and whole grain, etc., etc. Moreover, she baked without knowing about the existence of the famous “newspaper recipe,” because the proportions of the ingredients in it are almost classic, they can be found in almost any cookbook on European and American baking, published in any language. This is the most main secret popularity of this “plum pie”.
Much of what you can read about this “plum pie” on the Russian-language Internet is a game of “broken phone.” When I learned about the existence of a specific " American recipe", then I studied all the original material about it, including individual culinary publications, except for the very first one, so I have something to say about both theory and practice.
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Firstly, it’s very easy to get acquainted with the original recipe, he: the latest version of the recipe and more than one hundred user comments (link opens in a new window). If someone doesn’t see anything on the link, then they need to register on the newspaper’s website. In return, you'll receive regular alerts from the NT's cooking column in your email, with new and old recipes, right with pictures (in English, of course). This culinary section also contains paid material, and articles about “plum pie” can also be accessed from the browser through the search and the “saved copy” option.
Secondly, there are separate explanations about this pie from both its authors and the newspaper itself. Articles in NT "The Story Behind Our Most Requested Recipe Ever", "5 Ways to Adapt Our Famous Plum Torte Recipe", "Crunchy-Topped Whole-Wheat Plum Cake", as well as various editions of "Elegant But Easy Cook Book" and book "The Essential New York Times Cookbook. Classic Recipes for a New Century" is the ultimate source for the recipe, its history and variations.
The true story, from beginning to end, can be found out if you simply type “plum torte new york times” into a search engine: the very first links in the list should be the original data.
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This pastry is originally called "Plum Torte", i.e. not “pie” (English “Pie”), but “Torte”. Very often on the foreign-language Internet it is called not "New York Times Purple Plum Torte", A "Marian Burros" Plum Torte or "Marian Burros and Lois Levine's Purple Plum Torte". That's because two main original recipes: one that was first published in the 1970s as a stand-alone cookbook, and one that was published in a newspaper in the 1990s. But they have one source: culinary columnist Marian Burros. In the NT she is never forgotten and is always mentioned in connection with this pie. Unlike Runet, all the recipes from foreign home cooks that I was able to review also mention Marian’s name, either in connection with NT or in connection with her cookbooks.
Marian Burros - American food columnist and writer. From 1974 to 1981 - food editor of The Washington Post. Since 1981, he has been a reporter, and since 1983, a columnist for The New York Times. She has published several cookbooks.
Marian Burros, now living, lives in New York. Photo gettyimages.ca, ediblegreenmountains.com
This is the main thing, because this is the main thing :) And now - details for those who, for some reason, cannot follow the links I provided.
Original recipe "Plum Torte". The latest version with plums, published in The New York Times.
Scans from the official NT website
"Original Plum Torte"
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (150 g) to 1 cup sugar (200 g)
1/2 cup softened butter (113 g - the same as 1 stick of butter)
1 cup unbleached flour (120 g), sifted
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt (optional)
2 eggs
24 purple plum halves
Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon for topping
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 175-180°C (350°F = 176.667°C)
2. In a bowl, mix sugar and butter until creamy. Add flour, baking powder, salt, eggs and beat well.
3. Place the dough in a springform pan with a diameter of 20, 22 or 25 cm. Place the plum halves on the dough, skin side up. Sprinkle with sugar and add lemon juice (depending on the sweetness of the fruit). Sprinkle about 1 tsp. cinnamon (depending on how much you like cinnamon).
4. Bake for approximately 1 hour. Remove and cool (you can freeze if desired). Serve warm or chilled, optional with whipped cream. A frozen cake must first be thawed and reheated at 150 °C.
Here is this link, which also leads to the NT page (date September 21, 2005), It is recommended to bake the cake for 40-50 minutes.
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The same recipe, but with minor adjustments, was published by a culinary observer Amanda Hesser / Amanda Hesser in 2010 in the book "The Essential New York Times Cookbook", since more than 200 newspaper readers voted for its inclusion in the collection. Hesser herself called this recipe “almost perfect.”
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IMPORTANT!
The original recipes are given in American measuring cups (flour, sugar, butter) and “sticks” (butter in some recipe variations), so Russian-speaking cooks who copy each other’s recipes and indicate 250 g of flour and “plum” in the recipe must cut up", I strongly recommend studying the hardware, acquiring measuring cups, scales and using online converters to convert these same cups into grams and vice versa. Well, as always, I recommend very thoughtfully using “recipes from the Internet,” especially from “translated Russian ones”.
1 American measuring cup is approximately 200 g of white sugar or 215-220 brown sugar and from 90 to 160 g of flour (depending on its type).
Converting different types of flour from cups to grams very detailed painted, for example. For translations of other ingredients, see the same page (link opens in a new window).
Fahrenheit to Celsius converter: here (link opens in a new window).
According to the “settled” ones, i.e. According to official Soviet measures, 1 faceted glass contains 180 g of sugar and 130 g of flour, 1 tea glass - 230 g of sugar and 160 g of flour. All such tables, even with drawings of glasses filled with flour, were still in Soviet cookbooks. If someone has different glasses, traditions and taste preferences, then I have nothing more to say about this.
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How it all began. Marian got this recipe from her friend, with whom they published the first edition of the book "Elegant But Easy Cook Book" (authors Marian Fox Burros and Lois Levine). This happened, according to various sources, either in 1960 or 1962. In this book the recipe was called "Fruit torte / Fruit cake".
I haven’t yet come across the page with the original recipe from the very first edition of this book, so I don’t know what kind of flour, for example, was indicated there.
Photo www.nytimes.com
Almost 20 years later, when Marian became a columnist for the NT, she gave her own version of this recipe on the pages of this newspaper. The very first mention of plum cake in the NT is September 21, 1983. Link to 1983 article (opens in new window). The baking recipe was printed in the context of a regular newspaper article: it called for 1 cup of sugar, just “flour” and a 22cm diameter pan.
Information about what happened next is available both in the memoirs of Marian herself and in numerous NT articles. The fact that the recipe for plum pie was allegedly published “for 20 years in a row, and then with the threats of an angry editor” they stopped mentioning or publishing information about it in NT, as some Runet cooks think - this is incorrect information.
The recipe appeared regularly in the NT every September from 1983 to 1988. In 1989, the editors decided that this was enough: they printed a version of the recipe for the last time (with a warning about it) - in large print and so that it could be cut out. It was in this version that the amount of sugar was already reduced from 1 cup to ¾. Readers still continued to ask about the plum cake recipe every year, so the authors and editors continued to work with it and constantly improved it.
In 1991, a new variation appeared from Marian herself: "New Age Plum Torte"(see further Part 2 of this article). In 1994 - a variation with cranberries and apples, although notes to recipes on replacing ingredients, incl. fruits have been done before. In total, this cake was mentioned in the newspaper 12 times. “Then newspaper clippings of recipes gave way to web pages and Pinterest boards. The cake found a new army of fans online,” is a quote from the official website of the newspaper.
In 2010 The book "The Essential New York Times Cookbook" was published, which also contained a recipe for this cake. To include certain recipes in this publication, a survey was conducted among newspaper readers. The book is very impressive: about 1500 pages, includes recipes from the mid-19th century to the present day.
Photo www.eat-drink-garden.com
Until now, year after year, the NT newspaper recalls this plum cake and almost regularly updates its recipe or provides links to old publications. Not to mention that all the old articles and links on this topic, incl. with the original recipe and its variations can be easily found on the official website of the newspaper.
In reprints of the book "Elegant But Easy Cook Book" this pastry is called "Purple Plum Torte" and several recipe options are also given.
As far as I could understand, all variations " Fruit cake" are related to the personal preferences of their authors and readers. So, over time, the amount of sugar in the recipe was reduced and recommendations appeared to use unbleached flour, but Amanda Hesser indicates general purpose flour and says that 1 cup of sugar and plum is, from her point of view vision, best option and that no innovations are needed here.
I repeat: I don’t know what the very first version looked like - the version of the 1970s - but this, by and large, no longer matters, because this recipe Since then, and taking into account modern realities, it has been edited many, many times by the authors themselves and their fans.
Some will think that the pie is similar to charlotte - not that real bread, but apple, pear, apricot, or any seasonal fruit, filled with a viscous dough. In general, yes. Only there the fruits/stone fruits are mixed, due to which the crumb is saturated with juice and moistened. For the New York Times plum pie, the key is to arrange the plums on top of the pastry.
If you want to hold the halves in place without drowning them in flour and create a beautiful New York Times plum pie, choose a large pan and don't increase the amount of baking powder. The best fruits are dense, fleshy and with fresh sourness.
Cooking time: 70 minutes / Number of servings: 8-10 / Mold with a diameter of 28 cm
Before kneading, the butter should be melted and soft; it is better to transfer it from the refrigerator to the table a couple of hours before kneading. IN original recipe oil is indicated, it is clear that replacing it with margarine will reduce the quality of baked goods.
We measure 180 g granulated sugar(the remaining 20 g are needed for sprinkling and caramelization on top), grind with a pliable butter. Work with convenient means at hand: a fork, spatula or mixer. If it's the latter, it's important not to overbeat, otherwise the butter will curdle and the whey will come out. Bring to a creamy, homogeneous consistency.
Next, beat in the eggs, preferably one at a time, stirring into the mixture each time until completely combined. Please note small eggs It will take more - not two, but three. Or reduce the amount of wheat flour (in the third step, add flour gradually). The simplicity of the process is obvious. There is no need to separate and beat the whites and yolks alternately. The elementary sequence of bookmarking and kneading is three minutes.
Throw in a pinch of salt to highlight the sweetness. Sift the first 200 g of flour mixed with baking powder. Next, we change the fork to a whisk and intensively work in a circle. Add the remaining 30-50 g as you go. Adjust more or less yourself, the texture of the dough should be sticky, but not liquid, like for charlotte.
Grease the refractory mold with a thin layer of oil, fill it with smooth dough - level it with a spatula along the entire bottom so that the thickness of the cake is the same everywhere. With a smaller container diameter, the crumb will rise higher. Also, in addition to the round configuration, the pie can be rectangular or square - use a proven shape from which the products can be easily separated.
Wash sweet and sour, dense plums and dry them.
We tear the plums with our hands or cut them into neat halves and remove the pits. We lay the halves in a circle with a small equal distance or close to each other. Mandatory position - cut up. This way, the released juice will not completely spread over the dough and the crumb will not end up wet.
The sourness of stone fruits will increase during baking, so additionally sprinkle with the remaining 20 g of granulated sugar and flavor with ground cinnamon. The warm spice with plums, apricots, and peaches is no worse than with traditional apples. The fruits are enriched with a cinnamon aroma, slightly caramelized due to sugar, release juice, soften, while remaining in place and successfully combined with a delicate creamy crumb, both in appearance and in taste.
Bake the New York Times plum pie in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes, until dry. temperature regime maintain at 170-180 degrees. Cool in shape.
Serve New York Times pie with tea, fruit drinks or compotes. Bon appetit!
Plum pie from the New York Times is a legendary pie whose recipe has a very interesting story. American plum pie became a symbol of the passing summer for many Americans at the end of the last century. Marian Berroz, the author of the recipe, dedicated it to the beginning of the season of plums, which were sold everywhere at an attractive price. From 1983 to 1989, the New York Times published Marian Burrose's recipe every September. Readers flooded the editors with letters of gratitude and requests to publish the recipe next season. After six years of publication and a continuous stream of reviews, the New York Times printed the plum pie recipe in large format and even outlined it with a dotted line so that housewives would finally cut it out and stop bothering the editors. After which a statement was made about the last publication of the recipe. What started here! Angry letters poured in, and one reader explained the significance of the annual publication of the pie: “The appearance of this recipe is bittersweet, like the pie itself. Summer is leaving, it is replaced by autumn. Your annual recipe epitomizes this. Don't be angry with us."
Since its first publication, the American Pie recipe has changed slightly. So, the first version calls for 1 cup of sugar, and the 1989 recipe calls for three-quarters of a cup. Options have appeared with apples and cranberries - other symbols of autumn. Then a summer version of the recipe came out with blueberries and pears. What explains the popularity of plum pie? Its dough is very tender, with a creamy flavor from the butter and a crispy crust. The pie is prepared quickly, if not instantly. Products are always at hand. I stick to the classic recipe and invite you to prepare with me step by step a fragrant symbol of the passing summer. You can get creative and add things to the recipe as you go. I hope that for my readers the publication of this pie will grow into something more than just a recipe.
1. We select plums from which the pit can be easily separated from the pulp. Hungarian and prune plums are also very aromatic, dense and juicy. Cut the washed plums into halves lengthwise and remove the pits. IN classic recipe 12 small plums are used.
2. In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar for dusting. If you are preparing a pie in a small form, about 20 cm in diameter, there is even a lot of this powder.
3. Combine sugar with eggs. The original 1983 recipe calls for exactly 1 cup of sugar, but even with 2/3 cup the pie seems quite sweet.
4. Beat everything into a homogeneous mass until bubbles appear.
5. Add flour to the beaten eggs. It is advisable to sift it. This way we will saturate it with oxygen, and the cake will turn out truly airy. And with the help of a sieve, we will separate solid and foreign particles from the flour, which can spoil the taste of the pie. Now add baking powder, a pinch of salt and add soft butter (or margarine). For convenience, let the butter sit for a couple of hours before preparing the cake. room temperature, and we won’t have to resort to additional softening procedures. By the way, the original recipe says that it is not necessary to add salt, but it is a natural flavor enhancer that will not harm the pie.
6. Beat thoroughly dough whisk ohm You can do it with a spoon, but it takes longer and is more difficult. From the photo in the recipe you can see that the consistency of the dough is thick, and the color depends on the eggs.
7. Don't go to the bottom b ol shoy r A removable form cover parchment paper. Grease the walls with oil so that the cake separates well.
cover the bottom of the springform pan with bee bread ament oh, lubricate the walls
oil
8. Place thick dough into the mold.
9. Level the mass with a spoon.
10. Place the plums on top, cut side up, so that they are well baked. From halves of plums you get “boats” in which the aromatic plum juice will be retained. We do not press down the halves; during the baking process they will sink a little due to the fact that the dough rises. If the fruits are large, you will need less of them than indicated in the list of ingredients. It is necessary that they all fit evenly into the mold.
The plum trees at the dacha have finally grown. The harvest was enough not only to eat delicious fruit, but also to bake a plum pie according to the New York Times recipe. This pastry interested me in its simple preparation and also in its history.
Believe it or not, the New York Times published this recipe for 12 years in a row. It was first published in September 1983. The plum season was beginning and culinary section editor Marian Burros decided to publish her friend’s recipe.
After its publication, the editors received rave reviews throughout the year and decided to publish it again next season. Then, under the pressure of readers, again and again. Before the start of the next plum season, the editor began to receive letters with questions:
“Isn’t it time to publish a recipe for plum pie?
“Are you planning to publish a recipe for plum pie this year?”
In 1995, the last publication was made; the editors warned readers about this, suggesting that they cut out the recipe and save it.
I suggest you try baking this popular american pie from the New York Times, that's all they call him now. It's simple and quick to make - ideal for busy housewives.
Ingredients:
Step by step recipe:
Plum pie, made according to the New York Times recipe, turns out very beautiful and tasty. Due to the sugar sprinkled on top, the plum fruits are slightly caramelized, retain their shape and pleasantly combine with the delicate, creamy taste of the baked dough. Be sure to try it!
Watch the video for another version of baking with plums.
The dough in this recipe is very similar, but it has its own twist, I wanted to try it, maybe it will interest you too.
Elena Kasatova. See you by the fireplace.
What a pleasant surprise this American plum pie was for me! It would seem that the simplest ingredients, process and plums are much simpler and more affordable. But the taste... This is something!
The legendary plum pie recipe was published in The New York Times for 7 years in a row (every September from 1983 to 1989), and is now freely available on the newspaper's official website.
Please note that the original recipe is compiled in American measures (cups, spoons, packs). This explains the big difference between the compositions of the Russian-language versions of this recipe. A cup/spoon is a measure of volume, not weight, so depending on the density of the ingredient, the weight in grams of the same volume can vary dramatically. For example, flour in a 250 ml glass can be from 90 to 160 grams, depending on the type of flour and whether it is sifted or not.
For the correct translation of American measures, there are special converters and tables; they are freely available on the Internet.
Here I do not completely copy the recipe from the newspaper, I describe it in free form with my comments and minor adjustments.
150 g sugar
113 g butter at room temperature
2 eggs
120 g flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
8-12 plums
brown sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling
Beat softened butter (113 g) with sugar (150 g).
Add eggs (2 pcs.) one at a time, beating after each until smooth.
Add sifted flour (120 g), 1 tsp. baking powder and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth.
Prepare a baking dish by making a “French shirt”: grease the bottom and walls with butter in a thin layer, sprinkle with flour.
Cut the plums into halves and remove the pits.
Distribute the dough into the mold. Place plum halves on top (do not press them into the dough, otherwise they will fall through during baking). My 24 cm diameter mold fit 16 halves, while the newspaper recipe required 24 halves.
The original recipe recommends placing the plum halves skin side up. This makes the pie even more juicy and aromatic, but the plums become softer. My family likes it the other way around - cut side up.
Sprinkle the future pie with brown sugar (1-2 tbsp) and cinnamon (1 tsp).
Bake in a preheated oven at 170-180 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
