Tarte a la Frangipane
Recipe: Tarte a la Frangipane
Tarte à la Frangipane
The Traditional French Almond Tart
Frangipane is a traditional almond filling, similar to a pastry cream and made by combining almonds with eggs, sugar, and butter. When it cooks within a tart shell, it develops an airy, crystalized, cake-like consistency. A proper frangipane usually has fruit folded into it (we find that cherries and apricots hold up best in the oven) and is then baked until golden brown. This recipe comes from our very own Maria Gaube, expert pastry chef and veteran of Ai Fiori, Midtown Manhattan’s fine dining French restaurant. She recommends it with a dollop of crème fraiche, thought whipped cream and ice cream are both wonderful a la mode as well.
We’re sharing this recipe in celebration of French Cheese Month. So much of the cheesemaking process was developed by the French. They gave the world washed rind cheeses. They gave the world the affinage process. They gave us Brie and Camembert and Epoisses and Munster and Roquefort and so, so much more. With July being the month of Bastille Day, and the time of year when grazing conditions are at their peak, we are spending the month celebrating French cheese and its contribution to the world.
Tarte à la Frangipane
The Traditional French Almond Tart- Prep Time : 1 hr. 30 min.
- Cook Time : 40 min.
- Total Time : 2 hr 10 min.
- Serves 10
Ingredients
- FOR TART SHELL
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting your surface
- 8 tbsp Isigny Unsalted Butter 250 G, cold and cubed
- 5 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- FOR TART FILLING
- 11 tbsp Isigny Unsalted Butter 250 G, softened and cubed
- 4 eggs
- 1.5 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract
- 2.5 cup Murray’s Slivered Blanched Almonds, ground, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1 jar Black Cherry Confit 250g, drained, (reserve some of the liquid)
- Or
- 2 Cups B & R Blenheim Apricots 8oz, chopped
- FOR TART TOPPING
- 1/2 jar B & R Farms Dried Apricot Spread 10oz
- 1 ea Vermont Creamery Crème Fraiche 8oz
- FOR EQUIPMENT
- 11” Fluted Tart Pan, removable bottom or Pie Dish
- Food Processor (or large bowl)
- Stand Mixer
Directions
- Preheat convection oven to 325° or standard oven to 350°.
- Mix the flour and butter in a food processor by pulsing until small crumbles form (or mix by hand in a bowl, rubbing the flour and butter together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs).
- Add the sugar and mix briefly, then add egg and beat to make a crumbly mixture. Mix until the dough just holds together on a slightly floured surface. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set it in the fridge to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Roll the pastry out on a floured surface, about 2mm thick, and carefully place the dough in the pan. Line the tin carefully, removing any excess dough with a knife by running it flat against the top of the edge. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork and refrigerate the pan for about 15-30 minutes while you make the filling.
- Place slivered almonds in a food processor and pulverize until fine, carefully pulsing for a few seconds until it becomes the consistency of coarse flour. Don’t over-pulse the almonds, or you may end up with almond paste.
- Place the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the sides of your bowl in between additions. Then mix in the ground almonds and almond or vanilla extract. (Note: You can always beat these ingredients by hand if you would prefer.)
- Remove the dough from the fridge and pour the frangipane mixture over the tart dough, smoothing it out evenly. Only fill the mold about 2/3 of the way, then arrange the drained cherries (or apricots) on top of the mixture carefully. Sprinkle the outer edge of the tart shell with some chopped slivered almonds for extra texture.
- Place the tart shell in a small tray and set it in the hot oven to bake for 40, until the pastry is crisp and the tart is golden brown.
- Once the tart has cooled, remove it from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Serve warm or cold, brushing the top with melted apricot jam, dusting it with confectioners’ sugar, and dolloping it with Vermont Creamery Crème Fraiche or a French-style quenelle.
