Frangipane Tart

This delicious recipe has been supplied by the White Hart Inn at Bridestowe

The frangipane tart can be made with flaked almonds on top, or with jam under the frangipane and fruit on top.

I have found it best to blind bake the pastry case and allow it to cool before filling it with the chosen filling.

For the base

I portion of tart pastry.

For the frangipane

175g soft butter

175g caster sugar

175g ground almonds

4 large eggs

1tsp almond extract

If apricot frangipane

1 jar apricot jam

1 tin apricot halves (drained)

Line a lightly buttered tart tin with the pastry and prick the base all over. Place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes. Line and pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake in a preheated oven at 200c for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, remove the baking beans and return to the oven for a further five minutes. Allow to cool.

Reduce the oven heat to 150c.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Lightly beat the eggs to break the yokes and then add bit by bit the butter and sugar mix, beating all the time. If the mix begins to split just add a little flour (plain or self raising).

When the eggs are incorporated, gently fold in the ground almonds and almond extract. For ease, place this final mixture into a piping bag.

Onto the centre of the cooled pastry case, place most (if not all) the jam leaving a border around the outside. Then pipe the frangipane mix around the outside of the jam working in towards the centre, completely covering the jam. Once all the frangipane is in the tart, carefully arrange the drained fruit on top.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes at 150c or until the frangipane is set and lightly browned.