ANOTHER PEACH FRANGIPANE TART

Even though I have a favorite recipe for peach frangipane tart, when I stumbled onto a new blog that had a different recipe, I just had to try it.  This recipe, from At the Baker’s Bench blog, was one such experiment. 

As usually happens with me, I start out fully intending to follow the original recipe.  It must be my nature, though, to get sidetracked with changes.  Though I enjoyed the finished product, it didn’t come close to my all-time favorite, and it was probably more my fault than anyone's.  (I must say, however, that I prefer confectioner’s sugar in frangipane for a smoother custard, and only a half egg for a less "eggy" taste.)  I forgot to sprinkle turbinado sugar on the peaches, which contributed to the not-sweet-enough taste.

Even with my changes mistakes, this is still a good dessert, one that my friends enjoyed.  Frangipanes, I am convinced, are like brides and Christmas trees -- no ugly ones.  I mean, what could be wrong with a sweet almond cream on a flaky pastry, baked with freshly sliced sweetened peaches?  Here’s the recipe for today's tart, with my notes on how to make it better.  And, P. S. if you haven't visited At the Baker's Bench, do so today -- there are some great recipes there!

ANOTHER PEACH FRANGIPANE TART Adapted from At the Baker’s Bench Rating:  8 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

Crust: Use your favorite one-crust pie crust recipe.  Roll 3/4 of dough to 11” circle.  Fit into 9” tart pan with removable bottom.  Refrigerate. Frangipane:  3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, very soft 1/4 cup white sugar  (I would add at least another tablespoon of sugar)* pinch of salt 1/2 cup almond meal 1 egg (I would cut this to 1/2 egg – about 1-1/2 Tbsp.)  1 Tbsp. almond liqueur 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I would eliminate this.) (*To make the frangipane smoother, pulse the sugar in a mini food processor first, to make it superfine.)  In small bowl, whisk butter, sugar and salt till smooth.  Blend in almond meal, egg, liqueur and vanilla (if using) till again smooth.  Set aside. Peach Filling:  3 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 Tbsp. almond liqueur 2 - 4 Tbsp. sugar  (Taste peaches, add more sugar if needed.)  1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I would eliminate this.) 3 Tbsp. apricot jam or preserves In medium bowl, toss peaches with lemon juice, liqueur, sugar and vanilla.  Let sit 15 minutes to form juices. In the meantime, heat oven to 375F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread frangipane over chilled pie crust.  Arrange peaches decoratively over frangipane.  Combine preserves and liqueur in small bowl and heat on high till just hot in microwave, about 20 seconds.  Stir, then brush over top of peaches.    Spoon any remaining juices from bowl over the peaches.  Place the tart on the parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake about 40-45 minutes, or till frangipane is bubbling and crust is golden.    Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Serve slices with ice cream, sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche.  Serves 6-8

APPLE-ALMOND GALETTE

Not quite up for a fussy apple pie?  Make this easier galette with only 1-1/4 lbs. of apples on top of a luscious almond cream filling.  The sophisticated flavors and rustic presentation are perfect for company, or just make the galette for yourself and your family.  You’ll get 6 - 8 servings of a rich, flavorful dessert.  And if you use my new favorite pie dough recipe, you’ll all be raving as much about the uber-flaky pastry as the apple-almond filling.

Apple-Almond Galette Rating:  10 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

Crust:  Use your favorite recipe, or try my new favorite pie dough recipe.  Chill pie dough in fridge while you make the apple filling and frangipane.  Apple Filling: 1-1/4 lb. tart apples (4 small) (I used Stayman Winesap.) 2-4 Tbsp. sugar, depending on tartness of apples 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice Peel, core and cut apples in 3/8” thick wedges.  Combine with sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice in a medium bowl.  Set aside.   Almond Cream Filling (Frangipane):  1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, very soft 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar (I used 1-1/2 tsp. NuNaturals Stevia + 1/4 cup confect. sugar) big pinch sea salt or kosher salt 3/4 cup almond meal or 3/4 cup very finely ground almonds 1 Tbsp. flour 1 large egg 1-1/2 tsp. almond liqueur (You can substitute 1/8 tsp. almond extract, if desired.)  In medium bowl, whisk together butter, sugar and salt till smooth.  Add almond meal, flour, egg and flavoring and whisk again till smooth and well combined.  Set aside. Assembly:  Heat oven to 375F.  Roll out pie dough into a 14” oval shape.  Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Spread almond cream filling over dough, leaving a 2” border around edge.    Arrange apple slices over almond filling, pouring juices from apples over top.  Fold over border, pleating dough and covering outer edges of apples.  Freeze 10 minutes. Melt 1-1/2 Tbsp. butter.  Brush folded dough with some of the butter and drizzle remaining butter over apples.  Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. sliced almonds.  Bake 45-55 minutes, or till almond filling puffs up, apples are cooked and crust is golden brown.  Cool slightly before serving.    Serve slices of galette with sweetened whipped cream, creme fraiche, ice cream, or as desired.

APPLE FRANGIPANE GALETTE FOR TWO

Since it was just the two of us for Thanksgiving at home this year, I wanted to make a dessert without a lot of leftovers.  I chose this recipe from the back of a package of Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal, and it was perfect.  Using one sheet of puff pastry, if you position your 6” circles just right, you will have two rectangular pieces left, after you trim the dough, enabling you to make two more gallettes which are absolutely delicious cold the next day. 

While this recipe is not my #1 favorite for apple frangipane,  (Click here for my #1 fave ) it was easy and it definitely hit the spot.  A dollop of caramel sauce on the side and a pouf of Redi-Whip sprinkled with cinnamon on top finished this dessert.

Apple Frangipane Galette for Two Source:  Bob’s Red Mill Rating:  8 out of 10 Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS:  2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. almond meal 1-1/2 tsp. unbleached all-purpose flour 1 large egg, divided use 1/16 tsp. almond extract 1/2 pkg. puff pastry, thawed in refrigerator overnight 1 medium tart apple, peeled, cored, sliced thin 2 Tbsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. melted butter, divided Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  Heat oven to 375F.  In medium bowl, beat butter and confectioner’s sugar by hand or with electric mixer till light and fluffy.  Add almond meal and flour and beat till well mixed.  Stir in 1/2 egg and extract, reserving other  half of egg for egg wash.  Roll puff pastry on floured surface to 1/8”.  Cut 2 (6”) circles; transfer to parchment.  If you cut strategically, you should have enough pastry left to cut two small rectangles.  Transfer those to the parchment also.  Top each of the pastries with about 2-3 Tbsp. almond mix, spreading to within 1” of edges.  Brush edges with reserved egg, beaten.   Arrange apple slices over tops of almond mix.  Mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.  Drizzle melted butter over apples.  Refrigerate 15 minutes.  Bake 18-20 minutes, or till golden brown and pastry is puffed.

EPICURIOUS’ PEACH-FRANGIPANE TART

In September, 2008, I made the most delicious peach frangipane tart.  The tart has three components:  pastry dough, frangipane and fruit filling.  I used a standard gallette dough and my own peach filling.  The frangipane was made using a recipe on the back of Bob’s Red Mill almond flour.  There was no reason to try any other frangipane recipe, because Bob’s was superb.  But, thinking that Epicurious might have a better one, I ventured out.  The Epicurious recipe uses double the amount of almond flour and egg, and I thought it might possibly be a new favorite.  I was wrong.  Bob’s Red Mill has the best recipe for frangipane, IMHO.  The flavors are spot on and there’s just the right amount of almond flour.  I’m not saying the Epicurious recipe is bad.  It’s just richer, but still very good.  Topped with Dove raspberry sorbet-vanilla ice cream, it’s a little bit of heaven.  When I make another frangipane tart, though, you can bet I’ll use Bob’s recipe.

PEACH-FRANGIPANE TART Adapted from epicurious.com Rating:  8 out of 10 PRINTABLE PAGE

CRUST:  Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust PEACH FILLING:  1 Tbsp. butter 1/4 cup peach or apricot preserves 3 large peaches, peeled, sliced 2 Tbsp. peach brandy FRANGIPANE:  3/4 cup almond flour (about 3-1/2 oz.) 1/3 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. amaretto or other almond-flavored liqueur 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature 1 egg In large skillet, heat butter, preserves, peaches and brandy over medium heat till peaches are just cooked through but still slightly firm.  Transfer peaches to large baking sheet to cool.  Boil liquids in skillet to a syrup and pour over peaches.  Cool completely.   Roll out pie crust to fit a 9” tart pan with removable sides.  Trim and finish edges so they are slightly above the top edges, then turn the edges so they form a lip.  Press onto the outside edges of the pan to lock them in.  This will keep the dough from shrinking when you blind bake it.  Pierce lightly all over with a fork, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the dough.  This is another step to keep the dough from shrinking.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Place a round of parchment paper in the tart dough, fill with weights or beans, and bake about 10 minutes.  Remove parchment and weights, prick the dough again lightly being careful not to go all the way through.  Bake another 5 minutes, or till crust is light brown.  Cool completely on rack. In small bowl, combine frangipane ingredients.  Mix with spoon or spatula till well combined; spread over cooled crust.  Top with peaches and syrup.  Bake about 20 minutes, till filling starts to bubble up and brown.  Cool on rack.  Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.  Yield:  8 servings  (This is best eaten the day it is baked.)

APPLE FRANGIPANE TARTS FOR FOUR

Have I told you how much I love frangipane? The sweet-but-not-too-sweet, almond pastry cream, underneath apples, pears or peaches and enveloped in flaky pastry is just about the best dessert there is. And, though it looks fancy, it’s not hard to make.

You can use refrigerated pie crusts (such as Pillsbury’s) if you want to make it even easier. I prefer homemade crusts for better flavor and texture; and I like knowing what the ingredients are.

These are so very good. But please remember that they’ll only be as good as the apples you use. If the apples are not fresh, don’t expect them to magically get better when they’re baked. When baking, always start with the freshest, best ingredients you can find.

Apple Frangipane Tarts for Four Source: Judy’s Kitchen Rating: 10 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS: Pastry -- Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust, or your favorite pie crust (Note: you’ll need about 2 pie crusts) Frangipane – 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar (10X) (I used 1/4 cup 10X sugar + 1-1/2 tsp. NuNaturals Stevia) 3/4 cup almond meal (or very finely ground blanched almonds) big pinch sea salt 1 Tbsp. flour 1-1/2 tsp. almond liqueur (or 1/8 tsp. almond extract) 1 large egg Beat all ingredients together with a wire whip, or process in a food processor. Set aside. Apple Filling – 2 Medium tart apples (Rome, Winesap or Pink Lady) 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate 1-1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, divided use 1-1/2 tsp. almond liqueur (or 1/8 tsp. almond extract) 2 Tbsp. sugar 1/4 tsp. cinnamon Peel, core and slice apples in half. With cut sides down, slice each half into 1/4” slices, but don’t cut all the way through. Leave the half apple intact, only sliced on top, 3/4 of the way down. In small saucepan, combine juice, butter, almond liqueur, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook about 1 minute. Off heat. Assembly – Heat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut out 4 (7”) rounds of dough and place on the parchment paper. Divide frangipane equally among the 4 rounds, leaving 1-1/2” on edges open. Lay one apple half, cut side down, over each frangipane. Pull up sides of pastry to form a ridge around the apples. Using a pastry brush, apply the apple glaze over the apples, brushing some glaze down inside slices. Brush a little glaze over pastry, too. Bake 20 minutes, till apples are cooked and pastry is golden brown. Remove with spatula to wire rack to cool slightly. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

I've never been much of pear enthusiast. But I recently made a peach frangipane tart, and had an extra round of pastry dough and the remaining half of the frangipane in my freezer. And pears were on sale. So I thought, why not? I have to say that a pear frangipane tart is a real show stopper. The beautiful design of the sliced, fanned-out pear halves over the top of the tart makes an eye-catching dessert. I tasted the pears before I cooked them, and they tasted....well....like pears. Juicy, sweet and mild-flavored Bartlett pears. I made this dessert for a party we went to Saturday night. It was well received, and there were no leftovers. One person went back for seconds and, at last encounter, was still raving about the tart. I, however, was totally underwhelmed. Give me a peach frangipane tart any day. But keep the pears. There's just not enough flavor. So I'll stick to peaches, and probably apples, but I'll skip the pears from now on. That being said, if you are a pear lover, then this is your dessert. And, like I said before, I'm not a pear person.

Pear Frangipane Tart
Rating: 6 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:


Gallette Dough:
1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, very cold or frozen, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. ice water

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt, pulsing briefly till mixed. Add butter and pulse at intervals until mixture is like coarse meal, with the butter in tiny pieces no bigger than small peas. Add 1/4 cup ice water and pulse till mixture forms into a ball. If needed, add the extra Tbsp. water, but be sure you really need it. If you add too much the mixture will be too sticky. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, or overnight. You will need almost all of this for the tart pan. The piece that is left over can be frozen or used for an individual tart. Roll out about 3/4 of the dough to an 11" circle on a floured board. Fit into a removable-bottom tart pan, pressing dough up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate.

Frangipane: (enough for 2 tarts -- you can freeze one half)
1/4 cup butter, very soft
1/2 cup confectioner's (10X) sugar
3/4 cup almond meal flour
1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg

Beat together the butter and sugar till fluffy and light in a medium bowl. Add almond meal and AP flour and beat till smooth. Beat in the egg till everything is mixed well. Spread half of the frangipane over the bottom of the pastry crust; refrigerate. Freeze remaining half, or use it for another frangipane tart within 2 days.

Pear Filling:
1 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup almond liqueur
3 Tbsp. water
3 medium-large Bartlett pears, peeled, halved, cored and stems removed

Melt butter in large heavy skillet. Add sugar, lemon juice, liqueur and water and cook over medium heat till mixture starts to bubble. Add pears and cook about 3 minutes; carefully turn pears over and cook another 3 minutes, till just barely soft. Transfer pears to a pie plate in a single row to cool. The syrup remaining in pan should have cooked down. Set skillet aside to cool, about 30-45 minutes.
















Assembly: Preheat oven to 400F. Slice the cooled pears lengthwise, starting at the wide tops and going to the narrow bottoms, but do not slice all the way through. This will give a fan effect. The pears are soft, so you must work gently. (See top photos for example.) You will use 4 pear halves for the main design, placing the narrow ends towards the center of the tart, and letting the pears fan out on the outside edges. Fill in the center and between the pear halves with slices of pear. You will have 1 pear half and some pieces left over that you can enjoy as a snack or dessert with creme fraiche, yogurt, ice cream or whipped cream. Once you have the pears arranged, spoon the cooled syrup over the pears evenly. If it has congealed too much, simply put it back on the burner and heat it briefly just to liquefy it. Then brush or spoon it over the pears. Bake 40-50 minutes or till filling is bubbly, crust is browned, and any moisture from the pears has evaporated. You will see juice come out of the pears, but don't worry, the juice will evaporate as the tart bakes. (If crust browns too quickly on edges, cover with foil.) Let tart cool for about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate. Serve cold with creme fraiche, ice cream or whipped cream. Yield: 8 servings

PEACH FRANGIPANE TART

Since our last visit to New Jersey, where I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal flour for $9.99 (a full $5.00 cheaper than the price in New Bern), I've been wanting to try my hand at a frangipane tart. With a handful of peaches left in my fridge, I thought it was time. I was a little nervous. A frangipane tart is a bit of work, and it never really sounded that good to me. Almond paste and fruit? What a strange combination, or so I thought. I should have realized that, as a French dessert, it would have to be good. Bob was nice enough to print a frangipane recipe on the back of his almond meal bag. But his recipe uses puff pastry, and I wanted to make my own. So I decided to use the standard gallette dough recipe for the pastry. I had my own idea on how to put the peaches together, so instead of using someone else's recipe, I made my own.

I must now give my eternal thanks to the Marquis Muzio Frangipani for creating a perfume, made of bitter almonds, to scent the gloves of Louis XII. It's supposedly what inspired local patisseries to create the cream (made with milk, sugar, flour, eggs, butter and ground almonds) that we know as frangipane (or at least that's the story that's circulating on the internet). Frangipane beautifully complements fruit, especially stone fruits -- apples, peaches, plums, cherries and pears; and I am a born-again convert to frangipane. This dessert is rich and delicious, especially served with ice cream. There was a little bit left over from our dinner and I ate it the next day, cold, with just as much gusto as when it was freshly baked. I highly recommend this recipe.

One word of caution: always use the best quality fresh fruit available. If the fruit doesn't taste good when it's fresh, it won't taste good when it's baked.

Peach Frangipane Tart
Rating: 10 out of 10
Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

Gallette Dough: 
1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, very cold or frozen, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. ice water

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt, pulsing briefly till mixed. Add butter and pulse at intervals until mixture is like coarse meal, with the butter in tiny pieces no bigger than small peas. Add 1/4 cup ice water and pulse till mixture forms into a ball. If needed, add the extra Tbsp. water, but be sure you really need it. If you add too much the mixture will be too sticky. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.  Roll out about 3/4 of the dough to an 11" circle on a floured board.  (Use remaining dough for an individual tart.)  Fit into a removable-bottom tart pan, pressing dough up the sides of the pan. Let the dough hang over the edges just slightly, and crimp the edges over the outside of the pan so that the dough will not shrink when baked. Refrigerate.

Frangipane: (enough for 2 tarts -- you can freeze one half for later)
1/4 cup butter, very soft
1/2 cup confectioner's (10X) sugar
1/8 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup almond meal flour
1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg

Beat together the butter and sugar till fluffy and light in a medium bowl. Add extract, almond meal, and AP flour and beat till smooth. Beat in the egg till everything is mixed well. Set aside.

Peach Filling:
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups fresh or frozen peaches
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. almond liqueur
1/4 cup apricot spreadable fruit or preserves (or peach jam)

Melt butter in large heavy skillet. Add peaches and sugar and cook over medium heat till peaches are just barely soft, about 5 minutes. Remove peaches to a 9" pie plate in a single row to cool. Add almond liqueur, lemon juice and fruit preserves to skillet with remaining juices and cook till thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Assembly:  Preheat oven to 400F. Spread 1/2 of the frangipane over the bottom of the refrigerated pastry crust. Lay the peaches in a concentric circle over the top of the frangipane. Spoon the cooled syrup over the peaches evenly. Bake 20-25 minutes or till filling is bubbly and crust is browned. (If crust browns too quickly on edges, cover with foil.) Trim edges of pastry that were crimped over the outside of the pan. Serve with creme fraiche, ice cream or whipped cream. Yield: 8 servings