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What you need to know about Frangipane: Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart
If you like to bake, you definitely want to know about Frangipane because it is such a versatile and delicious filling, which is also easy to make. It is a creamy almond filling with a base of ground almonds and sugar, called TPT (tant pour tant−so much X for so much−or equal parts) in the French pastry lexicon. If you study French pastry, Frangipane will definitely be a basic building block in the lesson plan. I say “building block” because it can be used for so many different purposes. First of all, Frangipane makes a great tart filling when combined with berries or fruit. You simply spread a layer of Frangipane in an unbaked tart shell, filling the shell half full, and then arrange berries or fruit over the top. As the tart bakes, the filling rises up around the fruit creating a delicious mélange of flavors.
Make a Large 10″ (25 cm) Tart or Individual Tarts:
Raspberrry Almond Frangipane Tart
Small 3 1/2″ (8.75 cm) Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tarts
When I was pastry chef at The Old Inn On The Green and the Southfield Store, we always had a whole row of tarts in the pastry case, and you could be sure that at least one or two of those tarts would be some kind of Frangipane Tart: maybe blueberry, blackberry, or raspberry. We had many requests for take-out Frangipane Tarts; it was one of our most popular flavors. But Frangipane is a filling that can be used in many ways other than tarts−such as breakfast pastries or coffee cakes−but it also the filling in many classic French pastries.
Red Charm Peony & Dogwood
One such pastry is the Pithivier, a beautiful combination of golden puff pastry and Frangipane. I like the story about it on Kitchen Inspirational; you might like it too. Frangipane is also the filling in the French la Galette des Rois or King’s Cake. Frangipane is a traditional food associated with the Christmas holidays in France.
Although Frangipane is a French pastry preparation, its history goes back to 16th century Italy, when, of all things, an Italian nobleman, Marquis Muzio Frangipani, created almond-perfume scented gloves (why would you want those?). Nevertheless, almonds and Frangipani would forever be linked. Pastry chefs, seeing the popularity of the almond scent, captured it in a dessert that would become known as Frangipane. The earliest modern spelling of the word appeared in a 1732 French confectioners’ dictionary.
Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart
There are several ways to pronounce this word: 1) FRAN-jup-payn 2) FRAWN-zhee-pan 3) Frangipani. I have always called it FRAWN- jup-payn, but I noticed that Martha Stewart called it Frangipani on one of her episodes of Martha Bakes on PBS. I say “Take your pick.” Also, check out this source about Frangipane, which is where I found the pronunciations: food.com.
There are many recipes for Frangipne, but the recipe I like best is the one that I learned to make years ago in cooking school: The Institute of Culinary Education or ICE, formerly known as Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School. I’ve made this recipe hundreds of times so I feel confident about sharing it with you in this post.
If you would like to make a larger batch of Frangipane, use this recipe. Click on Thick Raspberry Sauce for a sauce to serve with the tarts. Click here for the recipe for Almond Sablé Tart Shells.
Almond Sablé Tart Shell:
Spread Raspberry Preserves and Frangipane in the unbaked tart shell:
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- Spread layer of Raspberry Preserves in bottom of tart shell.
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- Tart Shell filled with Raspberry Preserves.
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- Place dollops of Frangipane over the preserves, which makes it easier to spread.
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- Spread the Frangipane in an even layer.
Arrange the Raspberries and Sliced Blanched Almonds over the Layer of Frangipane:
Assembled Tart Ready to Bake:
Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart
To Make Small 3 1/2″ (8.75 cm) Tarts:
Small Tarts Ready to Bake:
Small 3/12″ (8.75 cm) Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tarts
Finished Tarts:
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- Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart
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- Individual Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart
Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart
| Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart | Print |
YIELD: ONE LARGE 10" (25 cm) DIAMETER TART
OR: 10 SMALL INDIVIDUAL TARTS - 3½" (8.75 CM) DIAMETER
- ALMOND FRANGIPANE FILLING:
- NET WEIGHT: 450g (1#)
- 95 grams blanched almond flour (1 cup)
- - Or: 95g sliced blanched almonds (3/4 cup)
- 95 grams sugar (1/2 cup)
- 125 grams butter, softened (1 stick + 1 Tablespoon / 9 Tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 100 grams egg yolks (5 large)
- 50 grams cake flour, sifted (1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon)
- 465 grams = Total 16.5 oz (1# .5 oz)
- ALMOND SABLÉ TART SHELL: See Separate Recipe
- 1 Large 10" Diameter (25 cm) Tart Shell (unbaked) = 375g Dough
- Or: 10 Small Individual Tart Shells (unbaked) - 3½" (8.75 cm) Diameter = 375g Dough
- RASPBERRY PRESERVES:
- 200 grams raspberry preserves (2/3 cup) (Bonne Maman)
- RASPBERRIES:
- 340 grams fresh rasperries (2 - 170g containers)
- - Have an extra container of raspberries on hand in case you need a few more
- ALMONDS:
- 45 grams sliced blanched almonds (1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons)
- TO MIX FRANGIPANE: PROCESS the almond flour (or sliced almonds) with the sugar in food processor until finely ground. Transfer to bowl of stand mixer (Kitchen Aid).
- ADD butter and mix with paddle on low speed until incorporated.
- ADD almond extract, then egg yolks, one at a time, with mixer running on medium speed.
- PULSE in cake flour on low speed until mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and scrape up the bottom of the bowl and mix in.
- REFRIGERATE until needed. Let come to room temperature when ready to use.
- TO ASSEMBLE LARGE TARTS: 1) Spread Raspberry Preserves in a thin layer on the bottom of tart shell. 2) Let freeze to make it easier to spread Frangipane. 3) Place dollops of the Frangipane Filling (450g) on top of the preserves. 4) Gently spread filling to an even layer, using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Be careful not to disturb the preserves. 5) Note: when using Frangipane Filling with berries or other fruit, the tart shell should be about half full of filling before adding the berries; the filling will rise up around the berries as the tart bakes.
- ARRANGE the raspberries in neat concentric rows about ¼" apart, making sure there is Frangipane between them, then press them gently into the Frangipane.
- SCATTER the sliced blanched almonds in between the raspberries.
- IF MAKING SMALL INDIVIDUAL TARTS: 1) FOLLOW the same procedure as for large tarts. 2) Spread a #70 scoop (1 tablespoon - 20g) of preserves in the bottom of each tart shell. 3) Freeze before adding the filling. 4) To portion the Frangipane for small tarts, I use a #30 Black ice cream scoop (35g). Just remember, you want the tart shell to be half full of filling before you add the berries. 5) I find that about 7 raspberries is the right number for a 3½" tart; arrange them in a circle with one in the center and press gently into the Frangipane. 6) Scatter blanched sliced almonds between the berries.
- BAKE the tarts @ 350° F (175° C) 55 - 60 minutes for large tarts or 35 - 40 minutes for small tarts, until the Frangipane filling is set and a wooden skewer tests clean; the crust should be a golden brown.
Individual Raspberry Almond Frangipane Tart
Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy!
Shirl
how long in advance of serving can I make this? does it need to be refrigerated? is it served room temperature, or chilled?
Ana, you can make this several days or several weeks ahead because it freezes well. It does need to be kept refrigerated because of the eggs in the filling. It is ok to serve cold or at room temp. Just be sure to cut it when it is cold; it will be so much easier to slice. Hope this helps and thanks for your interest.
Shirl
What a great recipe! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
http://www.jamiescookery.com
Thank you so much Jamie. This is a great recipe. Not only does it taste good but it is very versatile. I have used it so many times with different fruit and berries. It’s a recipe that allows you to be creative. Enjoy it.
How many days can it last if kept in the fridge?
Hi Nadia,
This must always be refrigerated, whether it is raw filling or a baked tart because of the eggs in recipe. Either one will keep up to a week in the refrigerator. If longer storage is necessary, it should be kept in the freezer. Be sure it is well wrapped in plastic wrap. Here’s a tip: I buy jumbo (2 gal) plastic bags which are big enough to hold a whole tart. This is an easy way to store tarts. Thanks for your question.
Hi there I would really like to try this recipe but I’m unclear on which type of flour to use.. Is it plain or self raising flour? Also I’ve bought ready ground almonds which I presume are blanched almonds which have already been ground. How much sugar would I use to each ounce of almonds. Thank you.
Hi Ellie,
Thank you for your questions. The flour that I used is plain cake flour, not self-rising. If you don’t have cake flour, it’s ok to use all-purpose flour. Regarding almond flour (also called almond meal): the way to tell if your almond flour is blanched is whether or not it has little brown flecks in it from ground up almond skins. If so, it would be referred to as natural almond flour. Blanched almond flour will not have those brown flecks because the skins were removed in the blanching process. Although I prefer blanched in this recipe because it makes a filling that is a creamier color, you can use either one. I’m not sure what you mean by your last question, but the recipe calls for equal parts almond flour and sugar, a 1-1 ratio or 95grams of each. This would also mean 1 ounce of almond flour to one ounce of sugar. However, you wouldn’t be using any extra sugar that is not called for in the recipe. I hope I’ve answered your questions. If not, please ask again.
So happy to have stumbled upon your website, it’s beautiful! I love the history you share along with your clear instructions, weight measures and gorgeous photos. I’m planning on making either a raspberry, nectarine or peach frangipane tart for Christmas (summer here in Australia) so have been reading many recipes and some call for blind baking the case whilst others don’t. I wonder why that would be. In any case, I think I will follow your recipe. Many thanks
Whether to blind-bake a tart shell (case) is a baker’s decision and what I learned in pastry making is that there are many ways to do any given task. The reason I like to blind-bake the crust for the Frangipane Tart is to keep the crust somewhat crunchy and not let it get soggy. Observe caution when blind-baking: the baking time and the desired color depends on whether the crust will be baked again with the filling. In the case of Frangipane, it will be baked again so be sure to watch the color and take it out of the oven when it is very light, otherwise it will be too dark when the tart has finished baking with the filling.
If you are blind-baking a tart shell for a pre-cooked filling such as Lemon Curd or Chocolate Pudding (or a Ganache filling), then you should blind-bake longer, to a golden brown finished color.
I hope this helps. I know there are so many subjective opinions in baking, so this is my point of view on your question.
So glad you are using my recipe and thank you for the nice comments about my blog.
I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
Shirl
Thank you so much for posting this beautiful recipe! The directions were so clear and easy to follow and my tart turned out absolutely wonderful! Lovely and delicious. I came upon your site while looking for this specific type of recipe, but I’ll definitely be exploring the archives for future ideas! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the lovely comments. I’ve been making this tart since cooking school and it never fails to please. I’m so glad your tart turned out well. Thanks again. Shirl
Thank you so much for your comments. I’ve been making this tart since cooking school and it never fails to please. I’m so glad your tart turned out well. Thanks again. Shirl
Can I use frozen raspberries instead of fresh?
Thanks for your question Hannah. Yes, absolutely. This is a very good dessert to use frozen berries. Just make sure to keep them frozen until you are ready to make the tart. Press frozen berries gently into the Frangipane filling. Then put in oven quickly.
I made this recipe, it really was perfect. Thank you. Show & tell here: https://plus.google.com/+ChristineTran/posts/ZWR4xtjZF4M
Thanks Christine for sharing the photo of your tart. I love it when people bake my recipes. It looks great.