Tarte Normande | Apple Frangipane Tart
Tarte Normande is a classic French Apple Frangipane Tart. Deceptively easy to make with an all in one almond cream and a touch of Calvados. Topped with finely sliced apples and baked in a rich buttery pastry case. A showstopper of a dessert - it really does taste as good as it looks.
Ingredients
- 125 g softened salted butter cut into small cubes or use unsalted butter plus ½ tsp salt
- 50 g icing sugar / confectioner's sugar 4 tablespoons
- 1 large egg
- 50 g ground almonds / almond meal
- 200 g plain flour / all purpose flour
- 110 g softened butter
- 110 g caster / extra fine sugar
- 110 g ground almonds / almond meal
- 35 g plain flour / all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tbs Calvados / apple brandy
- 2 beaten eggs
- 5 or 6 eating apples I used Braeburn apples
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons sieved apricot jam
Instructions
- 1
Use a paddle attachment at medium speed in a stand mixer to cream the softened butter and icing sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy – generally this will take about 2 minutes.
- 2
Add egg and half of the flour. Use a slow machine speed to mix until the flour is incorporated.
- 3
Remove the bowl from the machine before adding the ground almonds and the remaining flour.
- 4
Bring the pastry together by hand but avoid overworking it.
- 5
Wrap your pastry with cling film / plastic wrap before refrigerating it for at least 30 minutes. You can leave it to chill for up to a couple of hours.
- 6
Grease a 25cm (10 inch) loose bottomed flan tin.
- 7
Roll out your pastry between two sheets of baking parchment to prevent it sticking to work surface and rolling pin.
- 8
Make sure the pastry circle is the right size for your flan tin. The circle needs to be slightly larger than the diameter of your flan tin plus twice the tin depth. The ideal pastry thickness should be that of a £1 coin (3 mm / ⅛ inch.)
- 9
Carefully line your flan tin with pastry, gently pressing the pastry to follow the tin’s shape. Try not to stretch the pastry, and patch any cracks that might appear.
- 10
Trim off excess pastry but leave the sides slightly higher than the flan tin to allow for any shrinkage.
- 11
Prick the bottom of the pastry case with a fork and then refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- 12
Line your pastry case with baking parchment and fill with ceramic beans, rice or dried beans.
- 13
Preheat oven to 200℃ / 180℃ fan / 400℉ / Gas Mark 6 and bake for 15 minutes.
- 14
Remove from the oven and carefully remove baking parchment and beans.
- 15
Pop pastry case back in the oven for 5 minutes
- 16
Leave to cool.
- 17
Whilst your pastry case cools, core your apples (no need to peel) before cutting into slices approximately 3mm thick.
- 18
Toss apple slices in lemon juice and set aside.
- 19
Place all the frangipane ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and beat together for a couple of minutes.
- 20
Evenly spread the frangipane into your pastry case. Starting on the outside, arrange the apple slices in concentric circles on the top of your frangipane, pressing down gently.
- 21
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200℃ / 180℃ fan /400℉ / Gas Mark 6.
- 22
After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 180℃ / 160℃ fan / 350℉ / Gas Mark 4. Cook for a further 20 minutes until the frangipane is golden brown and cooked through.
- 23
Brush with warmed and sieved apricot jam. Leave to cool before removing from the tin.