Homemade Frangipane Cherry Tart

I started baking around a couple of years ago. I took it up as a challenge because I felt baking was one of my biggest culinary fears. I used to be fascinated seeing people baking all delicious desserts and I used to feel a bit inept. Another reason for not baking was me not having a sweet tooth. But my husband loves sweets and that really gave me an inspiration to try my hand at baking. I started with basic cakes and it was an absolute thrill to see myself baking them perfectly. Then I got introduced to tarts, courtesy MasterChef Australia and UK. They looked so picture perfect and delicious that I just had to try them. So, here is my first attempt at a tart and since I love almonds, I attempted making Frangipane Cherry Tart and it tasted D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S. I have already made it a few times now and it was a hit every time! Everyone loved eating it 🙂

Frangipane Cherry Tart

Ingredients

For Frangipane Tart Filling

• Unsalted Butter, softened – 150 grams
• Caster Sugar – 100 grams
• Pure Vanilla Extract – 1 teaspoon
• Large Eggs – 2 at room temperature
• Ground Almonds – 200 grams
• Plain Flour – 85 grams
• Cherries, pitted – 400 grams

For Pastry:

• Plain Flour – 160 grams
• Icing Sugar – 40 grams
• Ground Almonds – 25 grams
• Butter, chilles and chopped into cubes – 125 grams
• Egg yolk – 1

Steps for making Pastry

1. Mix flour, icing sugar, ground almonds and chilled butter cubes in a food processor until it appears like fine breadcrumbs. It is important to use cold butter or else you won’t get a breadcrumb texture.
2. Now add the egg yolk and mix it until dough just comes together.
3. You can either add a little flour in the food processor and can knead until smooth or you can take it out on a lightly-floured surface and knead by your hands until smooth.
4. Shape the kneaded dough int a flat-ish disc and wrap it with clingfilm refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C (180 degrees C fan-forced). Grease a 3cm-deep, 24cm (base) round, fluted loose-based flan tin.
6. You can also ready-made pastry (either a pastry block or a pre-rolled pastry sheet)
7. Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking powder or on a flour-dusted work top to form a 32cm circle. Line the base and side of the prepared tin with pastry. Trim pastry. Trim excess. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Steps for baking the pastry

1. Place tin on a baking tray. Line pastry with baking paper and fill it with ceramic baking beans/balls or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes. This technique is called Blind-baking.
2. Now remove weights or rice and paper. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Cool. Be careful with the pastry once it has been cooled. Shortcrust pastry tends to be crumbly and anything other than gentle handling is likely to damage the pastry case that we have created thus far.

Steps for Frangipane Tart Filling and baking

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C fan-forced).
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
3. Add the grounds almonds. Beat until just combined. Stir in the flour and mix well.
4. Spread mixture into the pastry case which you have just cooled. Arrange cherries over mixture.
5. Bake the tart for 40 minutes or until golden and firm. Let it cool in the tin.
6. Dust with icing sugar and your Frangipane Cherry Tart is ready to serve 🙂

Do share the results of your attempts 🙂