Fruit Frangipane Tart
Makes:
one 9-inch (23 cm) tart
Serves:
8-10
Prep Time:
15 minutes, plus cooling
Cook Time:
40 minutes
Category:
Recipe from Set for the Holidays
Appetite for Random House, 2018
Frangipane, like marzipan, is made with almonds, but it is used as a soft and sliceable filling rather than an icing or confection. Here it expands around the fresh fruits as the tart bakes, absorbing excess juices and forming a lovely yet thin crust on top that matches the soft texture of the cooked fruit once sliced.
NOTES: This tart is best enjoyed at room temperature but will keep, loosely covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Ingredients
Sweet Dough:
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp (145 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup + 2 Tbsp (80 g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 large hard-boiled egg yolk
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (230 g) cake & pastry flour, sifted
- ¼ tsp fine salt
Frangipane:
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (130 g) icing sugar
- 1 cup (120 g) ground almonds
- 2 Tbsp (18 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
Assembly:
- 2 cups (500 mL) halved & pitted plums and/or apricots, or 6 poached pear halves
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Beat the butter and icing sugar together in a large bowl until smooth.
Step 2
Add the eggs. Push the hard-boiled egg yolk through a sieve into a separate bowl and stir the raw egg yolk and vanilla into it. Add to the butter mixture and stir until blended.
Step 3
Add the flour and salt to the butter mixture and stir until blended.
Step 4
Chill the dough. Shape the dough into a disc (it will be very soft), wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours. You can prepare the dough ahead of time and freeze, well wrapped in plastic, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before using.
Step 5
Roll the tart shell. On a lightly floured surface, first knead the dough to soften it slightly and then roll it out to just under ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness. Place this in a fluted, removable-bottom 9-inch tart pan and trim the edges and dock the bottom with a fork. Chill the dough while you preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Step 6
Bake the tart shell for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges. Cool the shell before filling.
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and place the baked, cooled tart shell in its pan onto a baking tray.
Step 8
Make the frangipane. Beat the butter, icing sugar and ground almonds until well combined. Add the flour and beat in. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, switching to a whisk for easier blending. Whisk in the extracts. Pour the frangipane into the tart shell.
Step 9
Arrange the fruits nicely on top of the frangipane, but there is no need to press them in too firmly. As the tart bakes, the frangipane will expand around the fruits but won’t hide them.
Step 10
Bake the tart for about 40 minutes, until the frangipane is set and turns an even golden brown on top. Let cool on a rack before dusting with icing sugar to serve.
