If the thought of making pie makes your blood pressure rise or if you'd rather be sitting in front of a flickering campfire than a flickering screen this time of year, this post goes out to you. These nectarine frangipane tarts are quick and easy—especially if you already have some pastry (homemade or otherwise) hanging out in your freezer.
I've been evangelizing about Pim's pastry recipe for years and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon, so you best get on board. What could possibly be better than haphazardly smashing butter into flour on a table-top and ending up with flaky pastry that is equally at home in a sweet tart or savoury quiche? Absolutely nothing, that's what.
This little tart builds on that magic with a slick of rich, nutty frangipane and a few slices of seasonal fruit—all the elements of a great pie, without the stress of rolling and shaping a crust. It's like pie for beginners (or vacationers).
Nectarine Frangipane Tart
I'm partial to nectarines, but all stone fruits—including peaches, plums and apricots—pair nicely with an almond-based frangipane. If your plums or apricots are particularly tiny, you may want to simply halve or quarter the fruit and arrange it like so, skin-side down.
Pastry:
250 grams all-purpose flour
225 grams cold salted butter
60 grams cold water
Frangipane:
145 grams almonds, toasted
28 grams all-purpose flour
128 grams salted butter, at room temperature
128 grams white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or the seeds of 1 vanilla pod)
Fruit Topping:
4 nectarines (to be safe), sliced into thin wedges
coarse sugar (optional)
Start with the pastry. Instead of re-creating step-by-step instructions here, I'm going to send you over to Chez Pim. It's Pim's recipe and she's done a bang-up job of describing what to do and what to expect along the way. Once you're done with the pastry, come back here for the frangipane.
To make the frangipane, scatter the almonds onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast at 190 degrees Celsius (375 degrees Fahrenheit) for
7-10 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Transfer the toasted almonds
to a plate to cool completely before grinding them to a fine meal in a
food processor. Combine the almond meal and flour in a small bowl and set aside.
Now use the food processor to whip the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla (extract or seeds) and process until smooth. Finally, add the almond meal and flour and process just until combined. Chill the frangipane for 30 minutes before using or store it covered in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Now comes the fun part. Divide each round of pastry into four (roughly) equal parts, for a total of eight pieces. Roll each piece of pastry into whatever shape you like—I aim for a rustic rectangle—so long as it's only about 3 millimetres (1/10") thick.
Lightly spread a thin layer of frangipane on top of each shape, leaving a small border around the perimeter. Now, arrange the sliced nectarine in overlapping layers on top of the frangipane. Sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until visibly golden brown on the edges. Cool slightly or completely before eating. Best consumed the day they're made.
Sources: The pastry is Pim's one pie dough to rule them all and the frangipane is from a fig and almond tart that Fanny posted over at Foodbeam. Labels: Desserts, Pies and tarts
