Raspberry Frangipane Tart

Raspberry Frangipane Tart

• 12.09.2018

At some point before Thanksgiving I discovered the "Great British Baking Show" on Netflix... and since then I haven't really looked back. I like it so much that I won't watch it as I'm falling asleep because I need to pay attention to who is star baker and who doesn't quite measure up each week. 

So when I was planning a little brunch for some girlfriends, I wanted to raise the bar from my default (but creative) scone offering. I also wanted it to be approachable. While I love each recipe challenge on the show,  sometimes they can be a bit much for a casual Sunday brunch in fuzzy socks.

And that is how I ended up making a raspberry frangipane tart.

This recipe is literally beyond easy. While we were sitting around enjoying the spread, someone asked me how it was on scale of 1 to 10. I think it's a 3 if you use a store bought crust. It's a 5 if you make the crust from scratch and it's your first time making crust. But also making crust is easy. You just need faith ... and to follow the steps.

Crust

1. Place the flour and sugar into a food processor and give a quick pulse to combine. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour and sugar. Pulse until mixture resembles a course meal, about 10 seconds. 
2. With the food processor running, gradually add the egg yolk and then the ice water. Process until the dough just comes together.
3. Using hands, form a rectangular disk with the dough and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Chill dough for at least one hour.
4. Roll dough on a floured surface into a 16 x 6-inch rectangle. Line the tart pan with the rolled dough and fold over the edges to fit. Press the edges of the pastry into the tart pan.
5. Preheat your oven to 375° F and bake the tart shell (no need for pie weights) until it is lightly golden. If the shell puffs up while baking, carefully use an offset spatula to gently press them back into the pans. Repair any cracks that may have formed with your leftover dough. Cool the shell on a rack while you prepare the rest of the tart.

Frangipane and Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar on medium high speed with a stand mixer. Add the egg and egg white and mix again on medium speed. Add the almonds, rum, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Beat together until smooth.
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and filling is set. If the top is turning brown too quickly, cover with foil. (I covered mine with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.)
4. Cool on a rack for about an hour for frangipane to set.
5. Decoratively add the raspberries in rows on the tart and sprinkle a light dusting of powdered sugar on top. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Shopping List

Crust
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
8 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons ice water

Frangipane
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup almond flour
3 tablespoons rum

1 egg

1 egg white
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pints raspberries
1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar