New York Times Plum Torte

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.

This plum torte is the best. Hands down.

It's deceptively simple - a butter/sugar/flour/egg batter is spread into a springform pan, topped with plum halves, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. You're probably thinking, sounds nice, blah blah blah. But it's more than blah blah blah. In the oven, the torte transforms into a sublime summer fruit dessert.

If you've never made Marian Burros' and Lois Levine's famous original plum torte (originally published in the New York Times, and later, in their New Elegant But Easy Cookbook), this could be your summer. Have some perfectly ripe plums sitting around? You're about fifteen minutes away from popping this in the oven.

I've linked to the recipe on Lynne Rossetto Kasper's Splendid Table website, because it references torte thievery. Yes, if you make extra tortes, as Marian does, and I do (it's so easy to double or triple the recipe), you risk someone making off with them. They're that amazing. You've been warned.