Apple Frangipane Tart

The Origin of Frangipane

Despite being part of French patisserie, the idea for Frangipane came from an Italian man in the 16th century named Marquis Muzio Frangipani. He would wear almond perfumed-scented gloves which provoked French pastry chefs to incorporate the almond flavor in desserts. Source.

How to Make Apple Frangipane Tart:

What is An Apple Frangipane Tart Made Out Of?

First and foremost, this is a great Thanksgiving dessert, and we’ve got several components going into this tart. First, we’ve got cinnamon flavored pate sucre which also known as tart dough. Second, we top that with cinnamon flavored pastry cream using cinnamon sticks instead of powder. Third, we top the pastry cream with super French frangipane batter (almond paste based). And finally, we nicely arrange cinnamon apple slices. This is a perfect fall dessert that utilizes the best of apple season.

Make the Tart Dough:

If you are using store bought pie dough then you can skip this section! However, if you’re home making, the tart dough is a basic pate sucree dough which is a sweetened dough. Between the three major doughs (brisee, sucree, and sablee) the sweetness level is in the middle. It is essential not to overwork the dough (particularly the gluten) too much during making or rolling or else it will shrink when baking.

When making the dough, ensure that a dough does not form before you add the eggs. Once you add the eggs, mix just enough for the dough to form then give it a 30 minute rest before rolling it out. You can make the dough a week in advanced if storing in the fridge, and I will usually make a double or triple batch of the recipe to freeze in separate portions for months. However, make sure to defrost the dough and that it’s of a temperature between room and fridge temp.

Macerate the Apples:

While waiting for the dough to rest, peel, core, and slice the apples a quarter of an inch thick, then macerate. Macerating is a way to slowly soften the food product and soak up some flavor. Here, we use sugar to draw out liquid from the apples to soak up the cinnamon and soften the apples. The lemon juice helps add a little acidity, strengthens the flavors, and soften the apples. Once you shake it all up together, loosely cover and allow to sit out at room temperature until needed.

Roll Out and Freeze the Dough:

If you’ve never rolled out dough before it can be tricky the first time to get a feel for it. Start with a floured surface. With a rolling pin or similar object, roll by pushing out on all sides to form a rough circle, and frequently move or turn the dough to prevent sticking. If it does start to stick, sprinkle a little more flour. Roll to a quarter inch thick (store bought included!), larger than your tart tin, and even. Run your hand over the dough and try to feel if any sections are thicker or thinner than ideal. Again, we don’t want to overwork the dough; you can only roll it out twice before needing to toss it.

Roll up the dough around your rolling pin then unroll to evenly fit in the tart tin. When forming into the tin make sure to press into the corners so you have nice clean corners. Use a knife to trim off any excess, and poke holes in the bottom (also known as docking) to help prevent any bubbles forming and freeze. Freezing is essential because when you go to bake it, the flour in the tart dough will start to bake and solidify before the butter has time to melt preventing your sides from falling down. Freeze for at least 2 hours, but preferably 6 or more.

Make the Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is a fundamental product, and I use it in several recipes. Boil the milk, temper the egg mixture, boil, whisk in the butter, cool. Tempering in baking is bringing two liquids you plan to combine to a similar temperature before mixing all together to prevent shock. The cornstarch, primary, and yolks, secondary, are the thickening agents here. When boiling it all together, make sure it comes to a full boil while whisking constantly otherwise the bottom will burn, and let it boil for 1-2 minutes to remove the cornstarch taste and texture. Now this will need to chill in the fridge. Place some plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream to prevent any skins from forming.

Par-Bake the Tart Dough:

Par-baking is baking halfway. We par-baked this tart because with the pastry cream, frangipane, and apples all layered on top, the bottom will have no chance to fully bake. The holes (or docking) in the dough is usually enough to prevent any bubbles, but you can also use pie weights or a plastic wrap bag of rice. If you do notice any bubbles forming poke a small hole on top and push out the air. Be careful though because that air is hot steam! Once it has cooled a bit, spread the pastry cream on top and freeze it while you make your frangipane. Freezing the pastry cream will give you an easier time spreading the thick frangipane on top.

Make the Frangipane:

Frangipane is a batter made from almond paste and can be used in a variety of ways. Since almond paste is pretty thick, make sure it’s soft and really cream it with your mixer to make it malleable. Pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make life easier. It’s also a small amount to make so I recommend using a hand mixer if you have one. Make sure you are frequently scraping down the bowl and attachments so you don’t get any lumps in your batter! And don’t be afraid to turn up the speed on the mixer. Immediately spread on top of the pastry cream while it is still workable.

Arrange the Apple Frangipane Tart, Bake, and Finish:

You can be creative with how you arrange your apples on top. I like to fan them lightly overlapping them since the apples shrink in the oven. And also, any juices remaining in your macerating bowl, be sure to drizzle those on top before baking. The tart will be done when the frangipane poking out has turned a light golden brown. You can opt to make almond flavored whipped cream to decorate with.