Frangipane Tart with Blueberries

Frangipane is a filling made from or flavoured like almonds. This filling can be used in a variety of ways including cakes, tarts and other assorted pastries. It is normally made of butter, sugar, eggs and ground almonds. 

I like anything with almonds in it and you can add fresh fruits, can fruits or jam and it is good to go.

This particular sweet tart dough is a little sweet, very crispy and has also ground almond in it. It is a little different from ordinary sweet tart dough and worth making a batch to keep in the freezer and take it out whenever you need it. The filling is enough for 6 to 7 individual tarts and the tart dough needs pre baking but do not need to weigh it down with baking beans if you poke enough holes in them.

This recipe is adapted from Jamie Oliver 30 minute meals and Pierre Herme's Desserts. 

                           

Frangipane Tart with Blueberries Recipe

Ingredients for Sweet Tart Dough (enough to line two 9 inch tarts or 12 individual tarts)

285g butter (softened)

188g icing sugar

50g ground almond

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

500g plain flour (sifted)

For making the sweet tart dough, put the softened butter in a mixer bowl, put on the paddle and mix till light and fluffy. 

Add icing sugar, almonds, salt, vanilla extract and eggs and mix on low speed. Blend well after scraping the sides.

Add the sifted flour in a few additions, do not add all at once.

Switch off the machine as soon as dough comes together. Do not over mix.

Divide the dough into two or three portions. Roll each portion into a ball and wrap with food plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours preferably. You can store the rest in the freezer if you are not using it. This can be stored for up to a month.

Heat the oven to 180 C, when you are ready to make the tart, cut out a freezer bag or a big clean plastic bag, and put the dough in between to roll out. Cut according to size of the tray. 

Press gently onto the tray and poke holes all over with a fork so that it allows air to go around when baking.

For a big tart, put beans on alluminium foil before baking at 180 C for 18 to 20 minutes, remove the beans and bake for another 5 minutes till golden brown.

For individual small tart shells, we do not need to use beans for weighing them down.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 180 C till golden brown for the small tarts.

Cool the tart shells on a rack and prepare the filling.

Ingredients for the Filling:

1/2 punnet to 1 punnet of fresh blueberries

100g butter (softened)

100g ground almond

100g sugar

1 egg

Zest of 1 orange

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 180 C.

Put butter, almond, sugar, zest, vanilla extract and the egg into a mixing bowl. Use a silicon spatula and mix the ingredients together to a paste. It is that simple. 

Fill the individual tart shell first with a big spoonful of filling, put about 10 of the blueberries in them, then top the tart with the another spoonful or two of the filling. You do not need to smoothen the filling as it will spread out on its own during baking.

For a big tart, put in half of the filling into the tart shell, spread the blueberries onto the filling and add in the remaining filling. 

Bake at 180 C oven till golden brown, around 30 minutes. Checking after 20 minutes of baking.

Cool the tarts on wire racks. Remove tart from metal tart trays and serve warm. You can serve them with Vanilla ice cream if desired.