Frangipane Filling Almond Paste Food

FRANGIPANE FILLING

Steps:

• Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, ground almonds, rum, almond extract, and flour; beat until smooth. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 4 days.

APPLE TART WITH FRANGIPANE (ALMOND) FILLING

Steps:

• To make frangipane: combine almonds and ¼ cup sugar in food processor and grind into a powder.
• Add 2 tblsps butter, vanilla, rum and egg and process thoroughly.
• On a floured surface, roll pate brisee into a very thin circle (about 1/16 of an inch thick).
• Brush top of dough lightly to remove flour, roll up on rolling pin and unroll over 10 inch flan ring set on top of a baking sheet.
• Lift up overhanging dough and press into position so that dough adheres well inside ring without being stretched.
• Press rolling pin across top of ring to cut away excess dough.
• Spread frangipane on dough.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Peel apples, cut in half, core, and cut into ¼ inch thick slices.
• Set aside the larger center pieces of apple.
• Coarsely chop end pieces (about 2 cups) and spread over frangipane.
• Arrange apple slices in concentric circles over chopped apples.
• Sprinkle top with 1 tblsp sugar and dot with butter.
• Bake for 1 hour.
• Remove ring and slide tart carefully onto serving platter while still hot.
• Cool slightly.
• Heat preserves, stirring constantly, over low heat.
• Push through a fine sieve.
• Add Calvados and combine.
• Using a pastry brush, spread glaze over tart, thickly.
• Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.
• Nice with a dollop of crème fraiche (in my recipes) or whipped cream.

NECTARINE ALMOND FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375°F.
• Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and zest and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Add yolks, vanilla, and water and pulse just until incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps.
• Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. Smear each portion once with heel of your hand in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together using scraper and form into a ball, then flatten into a rectangle.
• Put dough in tart pan and pat out with well-floured fingers into an even layer over bottom and up sides so it extends about 1/4 inch above rim. Chill 30 minutes.
• Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake shell until golden around edge, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until shell is golden all over, about 15 minutes more. Cool shell completely in pan on a rack. Leave oven on.
• Make filling:
• Beat together almond paste, butter, sugar, and almond extract in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in flour and salt.
• Halve nectarines, discarding pits, then cut into 1/4-inch-wide wedges.
• Spread frangipane filling evenly in tart shell. Stand nectarine wedges, skin sides down, decoratively in filling, being careful not to push too far into filling.
• Bake tart until frangipane is puffed and golden and edges of nectarines are golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours.
• Make glaze:
• Heat preserves and water in a 1-quart saucepan over moderately high heat, stirring, until preserves are melted. Remove from heat and force through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids. Stir in Amaretto (if using).
• Brush top of hot tart generously with glaze and cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool tart completely, about 2 hours.