Mary Berrys Frangipane Tart Food

APRICOT FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• 1 You will need a 28cm (11in) round, loose-bottomed fluted tart tin, 3-4cm (1¼-1½in) deep. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/ Gas 5, and slip a heavy baking sheet inside to heat up. 2 First make the pastry, either by mixing the flour and butter in a food processor or by hand - rubbing the flour and butter together with your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix in briefly, then add the egg and ½-1 tablespoon of water. Mix until the dough just holds together. 3 Roll the pastry out on a floured surface as thinly as possible, 1-2mm (1/16in) thick, and use to line the tin, making a small lip around the top. Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork. 4 Next make the frangipane filling. Place the butter and sugar in the food processor (no need to wash this out first) and whizz until creamy, blend in the eggs, then mix in the ground almonds and almond extract. Alternatively, beat together with a wooden spoon if making by hand. 5 Arrange the apricot slices over the base of the pastry and spoon the frangipane mixture on top, spreading it evenly to cover the apricots. 6 Sit the tart tin on the hot baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the tart is golden brown. 7 To finish, make a glacé icing by mixing together the icing sugar and apricot juice, adding enough juice to give a pouring consistency and for the icing to hold its shape. Using a spoon, zigzag the icing over the tart and leave to set. 8 Remove the tart from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Serve warm or cold. TIPS: Sprinkling extra ground almonds on the cooked pastry base before adding the apricots helps to absorb extra moisture. The apricots need to be as dry as possible to prevent the juice soaking into the pastry. Dry each one individually with kitchen paper. An easy way of removing the tart from the tin is to stand the tart tin on one or two tins or jars; the ring around the tart can then be lowered to your work surface, leaving the tart on the base of the tin. Slide the tart off the base on to a serving plate.

CHERRY FRANGIPANE TART

Steps:

• To make the pastry, process the flour (or flour and semolina, which gives it extra crunch) and butter, then add the sugar, followed by the beaten egg and just enough water (about 2 tbsp) to form a dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, to make the filling, place the sugar, ground almonds, butter, egg and egg yolk in a bowl and mix to make a creamy paste. Stir in the kirsch or Armagnac. Chill for at least 20 mins.
• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Roll the pastry out onto a floured surface and use to line a 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Fill with lightly greased foil and baking beans and bake for 20-25 mins, removing foil after 15 mins, until golden. Spread the almond paste onto the base of the pastry and bake for 25 mins until golden and crisp. When the tart comes out of the oven, arrange the cherries on top in a single layer. Heat the cherry conserve with 1 tbsp water until smooth, then brush over the cherries. Leave to cool before removing from the tin. Cut into wedges to serve, adding a spoonful of crème fraîche if you like.