Christmas Recipes from France: Red Berry and Frangipane Tart

This red berry and frangipane tart recipe may also be made during the Summer — in the height of berry season — but when you join Chef Nikki at our Cooking in the French Alps culinary vacation, you may see it on the Winter and Christmas menu too. After all, berries frozen over the Summer work just as well. Plus, the beautiful color of the berries is perfect for the holiday season!

Red Berry and Frangipane Tart

Serves: 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 mintues
Cook method: Bake

Ingredients: Pastry

• 250 grams (just over 1 cup) flour
• 85 grams (1/3 cup) icing sugar
• 110 grams (just under a stick of) butter
• 1/2 lemon zest
• Vanilla essence
• 1 small egg

Ingredients: Topping

• 170 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
• 170 grams (Stick and a half) butter
• 3 eggs
• 150 grams (2/3 cup) ground almonds
• 1 tbsp flour
• Vanilla Essence
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1/4 flaked almonds

Instructions:

1. Using an electric mixture, mix together all the pastry ingredients listed above. Mix well until it turns into a paste. But do no over mix.

2. Put the paste on a floured surface, and then roll out the pastry. You can then either line 8 individual dishes or one large one. There is no need to pre-bake the pastry shell, as its already ready for the topping!

3. Make the frangipane topping by beating together the butter and sugar until it’s a pale color. Add in the eggs just one at a time, along with spoonfuls of the ground almonds. By adding these ingredients slowly, it won’t curdle.

4. To the topping mixture, add in the vanilla essence as well as the flour, and mix.

5. Spread the frangipane over the pastry evenly. Then top this with red berries, and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

6. Preheat the oven to 180°C (or 350°F) and then bake the pastry for 20-30 minutes.

The completed dish looks amazing, but tastes even more amazing! Enjoy it all on its own, or Chef Nikki recommends enjoying it with ice cream. Whichever way you choose to eat it, it’s sure to be a great addition to your holiday spread.

Want to learn more fabulous recipes like this one? Join us on our French Alps cooking vacation, or check out our blog for more recipes, such as for another fabulous Christmas dessert, Ile Flottante, or for Pears Poached in Port.

By Peg Kern

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