Description
Rich, buttery almond frangipane meets tangy sour cherries in this elegant French-inspired tart that balances sweet and tart flavors perfectly. Crisp pastry and silky filling create a delightful dessert you’ll savor with each luxurious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 500 grams (17.64 ounces) plain flour
- 250 grams (8.82 ounces) unsalted butter, cold
- 2 large free-range eggs
Sweeteners and Flavoring:
- 100 grams (3.53 ounces) icing sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
Additional:
- Unsalted butter for greasing
Instructions
- Craft the pastry base by pulsing chilled butter, flour, icing sugar, and salt in a food processor. Incorporate orange zest and eggs until a cohesive dough forms. Divide and refrigerate one portion wrapped in greaseproof paper.
- Create cherry jam by removing cherry stones and simmering with golden caster sugar and orange juice over medium-high heat. Mash thoroughly and cook until thickened, then remove any bay leaves.
- Prepare the oven at 180C/350F and grease a 25cm tart tin. Roll out chilled pastry to 3-4mm thickness on a floured surface. Carefully transfer to the tin, trimming excess edges. Pierce base with fork tines.
- Line pastry with greaseproof paper and baking beans, blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and beans, allowing crust to slightly golden.
- Pulverize blanched almonds into fine powder. Blend with golden caster sugar, cold butter, and vanilla seeds until smooth. Incorporate eggs and flour to create frangipane mixture.
- Spread cherry jam evenly across the pre-baked tart base. Gently layer frangipane mixture on top, ensuring uniform coverage.
- Toss fresh cherries with balsamic vinegar and sugar, then artfully distribute across the tart surface.
- Bake for 50 minutes at 180C/350F until golden and set. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
- Serve alongside creme fraiche or natural yoghurt for a delightful accompaniment.
Notes
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent shrinkage and ensure a crisp, flaky crust.
- Cook the cherries slowly to intensify their flavor and create a rich, concentrated jam.
- Swap blanched almonds with ground almonds for a quicker frangipane filling.
- Use gluten-free flour blend instead of plain flour to make the tart suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 282
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg