Walnut Frangipani Food

WALNUT FRANGIPANE AND BANANA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Blend first 4 ingredients in processor until nuts are finely ground. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 5 tablespoons sugar, and brown sugar in bowl until blended. Beat in eggs, then ground walnut mixture. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Roll out each pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 10-inch square. Using 5-inch-diameter plate as guide, cut out 4 rounds from each square. Using tip of small knife, score 4-inch-diameter circle in center of each 5-inch round (do not cut completely through pastry). Pierce 4-inch centers thoroughly with fork. Place pastry rounds on large baking sheet. Chill until very cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 2 1/2 tablespoons frangipane over 4-inch center of each pastry round (reserve remaining frangipane for another use). Arrange banana ovals decoratively on frangipane. Sprinkle bananas on each tart with 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake until pastry is deep golden and bananas begin to brown, about 25 minutes.
• Brush bananas with warm apricot jam. Sift powdered sugar over tartlets. Serve warm or at room temperature.

APPLE-AND-BLACK-WALNUT-FRANGIPANI TART

Steps:

• To make the dough, put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and pulse until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. (Add water a teaspoon at a time if the dough seems too dry.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and ease it into a 10-inch tart pan. Trim the edges. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the chilled crust with the frangipani. Peel, halve, core and thinly slice the apples. Fan the apples over the frangipani. Combine the sugar and the cinnamon in a small cup, mix well and sprinkle over the apples. Bake until the crust is browned and the apples are soft, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Remove the tart from the pan. Warm the apple jelly in a small saucepan over low heat until it is just melted. Brush the hot jelly over the surface of the tart. Brush the crust with jelly and dust the crust with ground walnuts. Dust the crust again with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

WALNUT FRANGIPANI

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely grind the walnuts and the granulated sugar. Set aside. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the brown sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Add the ground nut mixture, cinnamon and rum or vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Lower the mixer to the lowest speed and stir in the flour mixture until just absorbed. Use as a filling for tarts, pastries and other baked goods. It will keep refrigerated, tightly sealed, for 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months.

FRUITY ALMOND PUFF PASTRY TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the sheet of puff pastry in the center of a baking sheet fitted with parchment. Top the puff with another sheet of parchment. Place a baking sheet directly on top of the parchment on top of the puff pastry. This weighs down the puff as it bakes and makes it uniform.
• Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the puff pastry is partially cooked and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and take the baking sheet and top sheet of parchment off the pastry.
• While the pastry is baking, make the frangipane. In the bowl of the food processor, pulse the almonds until they become like a coarse, wet powder. Add the sugar, butter, flour, almond extract, cinnamon and egg and pulse until it forms a paste.
• Gently spread the frangipane in an even layer over the puff pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and place the baking sheet back in the center of the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Bake until the frangipane and pastry are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
• In a small pot, warm the jam over low heat until it melts slightly, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer the puff to a flat surface and use a serrated knife to gently cut into 9 even pieces. Arrange the pieces close together on a serving platter as if they make a whole tart. Drizzle some of the warmed jam over the top edges of the pastry and frangipane to create a "glue" for the raspberries to stick to the pastry. Arrange the raspberries over the top of each piece. Drizzle the remaining jam gently over the raspberries and finish with a sprinkle of sugar for added texture. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate the leftovers (if there are any!!).