Apple Frangipane Tart (with almond cream)
This beautiful tart has a crisp, sweet shortcrust pastry, a layer of almond cream and juicy apples. If the frangipane and crust are ready, the tart is out of the oven in 45 minutes!
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
Almond cream:
- ½ cup whole almonds or almond flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 egg white at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract for more almond flavor
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
To assemble:
- 3 to 4 baking apples
- 2 tablespoons almonds sliced or slivered
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar to serve
Instructions
For the tart crust:
- Have ready a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. Or use a rectangular or square tart pan with removable bottoms.
- Prepare 1 Sweet Shortcrust Pastry as instructed in the recipe, roll, line the pan and blind-bake it (steps 1 to 17).
For the almond cream:
- In the food processor (using whole almonds): process ½ cup whole almonds, and ⅓ cup sugar until almonds are in coarse pieces.
- Scatter ¼ cup unsalted butter, in pieces and 1 egg white. Process until it all becomes a cream.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, if using, and process *just* to mix.
- By hand (using almond flour): combine ½ cup almond flour and ⅓ cup sugar.
- Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, and 1 egg white, and whisk energetically until well integrated and creamy.
- Sprinkle 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon almond extract and ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract, if using, and mix just until combined well.
- For both options: Transfer to an airtight container or bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated for a few weeks or frozen for up to a month.
Assemble and bake the tart:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Cut 3 to 4 baking apples in half, core them, peel them if you want, and cut each half into thin slices.
- Spread the almond cream in the bottom of the crust with a spoon or offset spatula.
- Place the apple slices on top in a circle, rows or however you want to. You can slightly spread them out, overlap, or leave them together like I did. There’s no right or wrong way.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the apples start to soften and release some juice, the almond cream is puffed, and the crust is golden.
- Tent with a piece of aluminum foil if the crust is browning too much.
- If sprinkling with 2 tablespoons almonds, sliced or slivered, do so mid-baking. If you add them from the start, they might burn before the tart is done.
- Let cool on a wire rack, remove from the pan onto a serving platter, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, before serving.
Notes
Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
